GV 

MK5 



MM 



»■*«& 



MM 



1 




^ 



# 

X 



i=Tl 



*R5 





Class G. V 1 5 



Book. 



v 1^5 



Copyright^ . 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 



< c 




MACCABE'S 

AND 

VOCAL ILILHSIOIB, 

WITH FULL DIRECTIONS TO LEARNERS HOW TO ACQUIRE A 

PLEASING VOCALIZATION; SHOWING HOW TO BEGIN AND 

PRACTICE MARVELLOUS ILLUSTRATIONS OF 

VENTRILOQUISM; 

WITH 

AMUSING DIALOGUES FOR BEGINNERS, 

INCLUDING THE "REPERTOIRE" OP THE 

ENGLISH RAILWAY PORTER, 

AS PERFORMED^JiY 

FREDERIC NfACCABE, 

tS HI3 CELEBRATED MIMICAL, MUSICAL AND YENTRLLOQUIAL ENTER- 
TAINMENT, 

"BEGONE DULL CARE," 



Where should this be ? I' the air or the earth? 
* * * * 

This is no mortal business, nor no sound that 

the earth owes— 
I hear it now above me ! 

* * * * 

What is it ? A spirit I 

Lord, how it looks about I Believe me, sir, 

I It carries a brave form— but 'tis a spirit. J \ / y 

* # # # 

No I it eats and sleeps, 

And hath such senses as we have — such.' 1 

The Tempest. 



NEW YORK : 

ROBERT M. BE WITT, Publisher, 33 Rose Street, 
{Between Duane and Frankfort Sts.) 

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1875, byRoBKBT M. Da Witt, in 
the office of the Librarian of Congress at Washington. 



n 



4 CONTENTS. 

Page, 
How to Begin and Prauiice Ventriloquism:. 

Use of a Mirror , 26 

Position of the Lips 26 

Practice on the Consonants 26 

Practice on the Vowels 27 

Practice on Short Sentences 27 

Improving the Voice 27 

Transition of Voices 28 

Falsetto Voice in Ventriloquism 28 

Guttural Voice in Ventriloquism 29 

Distant Voices 29 

Illustration from "The Tempest* ' 29 

Capital Practice with "Come Here" 30 

Modulation of the Voice 31 

POLXPHONISM AND VENTRILOQUISM. 

Imitation of Different Animals 31 

Amusing Experiment 31 

Propt r Emphasis, &c 32 

Ventriloquial Dialogues. 

The Man on the Chimney and the Man on the Roof. 33 

Practical Remarks on Foregoing Dialogue 38 

Dialogue between the Ventriloquist, Jem on the Roof, and Bill in 

the Chimney. 39 

Practical Remarks on the Foregoing , 40 

The English Railway Porter giving Imitations of the Fat Little 

Man, Fat Old Lady, Jocular Young Man, Asthmatical Old 

Man, Intoxicated Man, and Yankee Chaffer 41 

Song, < ' The Railway Station " 42 

Fred. Maccabe' s Pranks when a Boy 47 

Fred. Maccabe and the Irish Donkey 48 

Example from " My Name is Norval V 49 

^immy Acting 49 

Mr.^athcart as" Caliban " 50 

Alexa\l re ' s Mimetic Powers 50 

Alexandre's Trick on the Mayor of London 51 

Alexandre H nd the Load of Hay 52 

Concluding Remaps. 

Art of Breathing Speaking and Singing 53 

The Physical Requirements of Song ; Dr. Pardee's Great Article 

from Lotus Leases 5 i 



^tdxabuttxim. 



SJHE Art of Ventriloquism is an accomplishment so rare, so 
{J little practiced, and so little understood, that its possessor is 
considered a rara avis. Like the Arts of Music and Mimicry, it 
affords, especially to the uninitiated, an intellectual diversion; 
and is productive of a vast fund of pleasing and wonderful enter- 
tainment. And yet, unlike those, it has but few representatives 
of celebrity. One reason is, probably, the want of information 
concerning it, for it is remarkable what an amount of misconcep- 
tion prevails respecting the nature of its operations. 

The object of these pages is to convey, from personal expe- 
rience, some knowledge of the mysteries in which it is en- 
shrouded. Popular notions are current and accepted that the 
ventriloquist can throw his voice anywhere within the range of 
hearing, and make it explode at pleas are at any given place, like 
a bullet from an air gun. A perusal of these pages will help to 
dispel this common delusion, and show 

" What charms, 
What conjurations, and what mighty magic " 

there are in it. 

It is, of course, beyond human possibility to make these dead 
pages speak outright. The most elaborate and well defined 
description utterly fails to give the resonance of the full 
toned vocal organs, swelling with volumes of sound, or the mod- 
ulations of their tone as they are subsiding their vibrations on 
the senses. As well might one try to taste mustard by merely 
whispering the word. Where the things themselves are want- 
ing it is useless to listen, or to attempt to taste. So, likewise, 
it is impossible to convey in words the indescribable Art of 



6 INTRODUCTION. 

the Mimic, by which, with " one touch of nature" in a tone, a 
glance or a grimace — in a turn, a twist or a shrug — he may " set 
the table in a roar." 

It is not to be supposed, therefore, that these pages can give 
voice and mimetic power where these are wanting ; or that they 
will make a ventriloquist of any casual reader, any more than 
giving him a pipe to play upon is sufficient to enable him to dis- 
course " most eloquent music, " for it could not "command any 
utterance of harmony. " But so far as explaining the mode 
whereby such skill may be acquired, the following instructions 
will serve to encourage and draw out the latent talent of any 
one whose disposition is toward acquiring and perfecting him- 
self as a good speaker and ventriloquist. 

During the season of 18*71-2, while I was lessee of the Charing 
Cross Theatre, London, the subject of Ventriloquism was the 
topic of considerable discussion and interest among many circles 
and societies in the Metropolis of Great Britain. This was 
evinced by numerous communications and inquiries addressed to 
scientific and quasi scientific journals. The editor of one of 
these {Land and Water) wrote to me asking me to answer the 
various letters addressed to him on the subject. The following 
letter of mine was published in his paper on the 20th December, 
18U: 
" To the Editor of Land and Water. 

" Sir — The questions of your various correspondents on the 
subject of Ventriloquism do not admit of a simple and direct reply. 
There is no Art so little understood and so much misunder- 
stood as the Art called Ventriloquism. The popular belief that 
the Ventriloquist throws his voice is an error. That. most fictitious 
of all fictions, "Valentine Vox," is founded on, and has done 
much to propagate this error. The very name of the Art— Ven- 
triloquism or belly speaking — is believed by many to be a misno- 
mer. The learned and careful critic of Tlie Times, in a notice of 
my performance at the St. James Hall, London, three years ago, 
speaks of it as ' that Art to which ignorance still gives the name 
Ventriloquism ;' but Sir David Brewster, in his letters on \ Na- 
tural Magic, 7 ingeniously defends the name. He says, that 
1 Ventriloquism loses its distinctive character ifits imitations are 
not performed by a voice from the belly. The voice, indeed, does 
not actually come from that region, but when the ventriloquist 



INTRODUCTION. 7 

utters sounds from the larynx without moving the muscles of bis 
face, he gives them strength by a powerful action of the abdom- 
inal muscles. Hence he speaks by means of his belly, although 
the throat is the real source from which the sounds proceed.' 
This, in my opinion, proves that the term Ventriloquism is cor- 
rect, or as nearly correct as any which the exigencies of termin- 
ology can supply. 

"Most ventriloquists believe, or pretend to believe, in order to 
favor the belief in others, that they have a natural gift and a 
special power of throwing the voice, so as to make it sound in any 
spot they choose. The smallest knowledge of acoustics, or a 
little reflection without the smallest knowledge of the principles 
of acoustics, will show the absurdity of this belief in an impos- 
sibility. That Sir David Brewster was not entirely free from 
this belief may be seen from the following passage in his 'Let- 
ters.' He says, 'The influence over the human mind which 
the Ventriloquist derives from the skilful practice of his art is 
greater than that which is exercised by any other species of con- 
jurer. The ordinary magician requires his theatre, his accom- 
plices,, and the instruments of his art, and he enjoys but a local 
sovereignty within the precincts of his own magic circle. The 
ventriloquist, on the contrary, has the supernatural always at his 
command, in the open fields as well as in the crowded city ; in 
the private apartment as well as in the public hall. He can sum- 
mon up innumerable spirits, and though the persons of his 
fictitious dialogue are not visible to the eye, yet they are as une- 
quivocally present to the imagination of his audience as if they 
had been shadowed forth in the silence of a spectral form.' 

" I hope I will not be charged with presumption when I say that 
Sir David Brewster, in his admiration of, and the pleasure which 
he has derived from hearing M. Alexandre — of whom he speaks in 
enthusiastic terms, and whom I am bound to believe was the 
greatest ventriloquist ever known — has allowed his imagination 
to mislead him into exaggeration. All the illusions of Ventrilo- 
quism depend very much upon the imagination of the hearer. 
The power of imitating sounds is only a part of the Art. The 
effect of Ventriloquism is a creation of the imagination produced 
by a deception of the ear anMhe eye. The attention of the hear- 
ers must be caught by little indescribable actions and tricks of 
manner, and directed to the spot from whence the sound is sup- 
posed to proceed ; the effect to be produced must be suggested 
to the mind at the moment that the sound is imitated, and the 
imagination of the audience thus made to help in the illusion. 

" Though a man may possess all the physical requisites for Ven- 
triloquism, viz., a power of imitating sounds, and abnormal strength 
in the larynx, the tonsils and the abdominal muscles, he would be 



8 INTRODUCTION. 

no more a ventriloquist than with the possession of paint brushes 
and pallet he would be a painter. These physical requisites are, 
I believe, possessed by most people, in a greater or less degree, 
and are capable of development; but the power of catching and 
directing the attention, of suggesting to the mind of the audience, 
by almost imperceptible gesture ; of exciting their imagination 
without appearing to act, these are requisites not easily acquired, 
and form the great difficulty in the way of laying down rules and 
exercises for the acquirement of the power of Ventriloquism. 

"Filed. Maccabe, 
Charing Cross Theatre." 

Since writing the above I have devoted much time and study 
to the subject, in listening to and noting the various opinions and 
theories of imperfect amateur observers (for the art of observation 
requires training), and reading the many scientific treatises on 
the Voice and Ventriloquism. The latter, with one exception, I 
have found to be worthless, either for explaining the nature of 
or teaching the art of Ventriloquism. The exception is a little 
book entitled "Letters on Natural Magic, by Sir David Brewster, 
addressed to Sir Walter Scott," published by Harper Bros., New 
York. In this book there is one letter on Ventriloquism which is 
distinguished by elegance of style and a strange mixture of keen 
perception, scientific analysis and enthusiastic simplicity of cred- 
ulity. 

All this listening, noting and reading has modified my opinion, 
expressed in the first phrase of my letter to Land and Water. I 
said, "there is no Art so little understood and so much misunder- 
stood as the Art called Ventriloquism." I withdraw the phrase 
"little understood,* * and adhere more strongly to the phrase 
"much misunderstood." Sir David Brewster and all other sincere 
writers on the subject have written from the position of the de- 
ceived hearer. I have not found anything written by one of the 
deceivers worthy of a moment's consideration. They seem to me 
to be all written with the purpose of keeping up and strengthen- 
ing the deception. After many years of practice and observation 
I am convinced that this Art is not the result of any special pecu- 
liar formation of the vocal organs. It is not a gift, in the common 



INTRODUCTION. V 

acceptation of the term. That it requires certain special qualities 
of voice and ear is beyond a doubt ; but these qualities are such 
as most people possess. 

The qualities required for a ventriloquist are flexibility, ordi- 
nary strength in the cartilaginous membrane of the throat and 
the muscles of abdominal regions, and a power of imitativeness. 
It will be readily conceded that these qualities are possessed by 
the majority of people who have no physical defect in these 
organs. But the power of imitativeness is dependent on a combi- 
nation of qualities of the ear and the voice. The correct imitation 
of sounds depends entirely upon the ear. A person possessed of 
the most perfect and highly trained vocal organs, if he have a de- 
fective ear, can neither sing in tune nor imitate sounds correctly, 
though he be endowed with every other requisite for mimicry. 
The province of the ear in relation to the production of sounds 
is very clearly and ably treated of by Dr. Pardee, in a paper called 
"The Physical Requirements of Song," published in the Lotos 
Leaves, New York, 1875. 



WHAT VENTRILOQUISM IS. 

" Where should this be ? I' the air or the earth ? 

* * * * 
This is no mortal business, nor no sound that 

the earth owes— 
I hear it now above me ! 

* * * * 
What is it ? A spirit ! 
Lord, how it looks about ! Believe me, sir, 
It carries a brave form— but 'tis a spirit. 

* * * * 

No ! it eats and sleeps, 

And hath such senses as we have— such." 

The Tempest. 

'HE word Ventriloquism is derived from the Latin venter, the 
v% belly, and loquor, I speak. Hence its significance, belly- 
speaking — speaking in the belly as distinct from speaking in the 
ordinary way with the mouth. It accordingly conveyed the idea 
of the ability of expressing language otherwise than by word of 
mouth, and was esteemed in ancient times as being a special 
gift, whereby the possessor had a power something more than 
natural. For it was conceived that he was possessed of a 
"familiar spirit," which had taken up its abode in the person, and 
manifested itself in such an astonishing and extraordinary way 
that it was in constant attendance, dispensing with the ordinary 
physical agencies of speech ; sometimes heard inwardly, at others 
leaving the corporeal frame and making itself heard in space, in 
trees and forests, in the vaults or domes of temples, above and 
below, and round about ; so that the Yentriloquial Yoice par- 
took as much of a supposed spiritual nature as of the physical, in 
its strange, and, to the ancients, inexplicable phenomena. Those 
who could make these strange effects kept a profound secrecy; 
for little has been handed down to the present day in the way of 
information. There can be no doubt that in ancient times the 
ventriloquist played no unimportant part in history, in influenc- 
ing the minds and policies of rulers, and, consequently, in shaping 



maccabe's art of ventriloquism. 11 

out the destinies of peoples, and the rise and fall of kingdoms. It 
is philosophically maintained that the Witch of Endor impressed 
Saul with her ventriloquial powers; for it is not recorded that the 
latter saw the ghost of Samuel. No doubt, if the veil of darkness 
could be raised^any historical circumstances have been influ- 
enced for better or worse by the association of the ventriloquist's 
art in directing or controlling the prime movers and actors 
therein. It has been left to modern science, however, to discover 
and account for the physiological operations and powers of the 
vocal organs. The observations of these, while in operation in the 
manifestation of sounds or tones, conclusively show that what 
is called Ventriloquism is but a peculiar method of vocalization, 
which, differing from the ordinary colloquial way of making ar- 
ticulations forward in the mouth, alters the directions of these 
sounds, by so managing the conformation of the mouth and lips 
as to keep back the vocalized sounds, and cause their utterance 
to be so muffled and hollow as to appear like distant sounds, more 
or less remote. This is done by varying and retracting the tongue, 
enlarging the cavities at the back of the mouth, by dilating the 
the glottis and laryngean tubes, and so increasing their elasticity 
and services, which thereby operate in restraining the voice in- 
wardly, and in producing vocal effects of a new and unusual 
nature. 

These capabilities of contracting and expanding the vocal 
organs must be acquired by continued application and practice. 
The elasticity of these organs have to be carefully exercised so as 
not to strain them, otherwise the voice might be permanently 
injured, just as lifting too heavy weights strains the muscular 
powers, and jeopardizes their utility and strength. As the bodily 
exercise of the arms and legs in gymnastic exercises, such as 
rowing, running, walking or boxing, adds to their vigor and elas- 
ticity, so the organs of the voice, the lungs, the respiratory tubes, 
and the membranous vocal cords, are rendered by practice more 
powerful, and better subject than before to personal control. It 
is the musician's practice in singing which enables him with ac- 
curacy and nicety to sing any given note, and render it with the 
proper pitch, time, and force of sound. The musician, however, 



12 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

has only one voice to cultivate, whereas the would-be ventrilo- 
quist has to discover what other voices he can superadd to his 
own — each one of which he has to vocalize according to the pitch 
and characteristics belonging to it. The ventriloquist speaks in 
more than one voice, and as from a distance. 

In order to acquire the art of Ventriloquism, with all its attend- 
ant illusions, it is needful that the learner shall make himself 
thoroughly conversant with the means to that end. It is neces- 
sary, therefore, in the first place to consider the voice, its powers, 
operations and adaptability in vocalization ; the effects of sound 
upon the hearing faculties, and the illusions consequent thereon, 
before entering upon the devised means of using these agencies 
for the purpose of producing those illusive effects wnich come 
under the name of Yentriloquism. Without these preliminary 
considerations the learner would be unable to account for the 
elementary causes which he is anxious to avail himself of, or to 
understand the principles and practical application of these to 
attain the object desired — the illusion not of himself but of his 
hearers. 

The following extract is taken from Gregory's Dictionary of Arts and 
Sciences. Article on Physiology, referring to the Voice, Speech, and 
Ventriloquism : 

"The Voice.— The different modifications of which the voice is sus- 
ceptible depends not so much upon the largeness or smallness of the 
glottis as on the tension and relaxation of the ligaments that form the 
sides of the aperture from the glottis into the mouth, which is indeed the 
true organ of the function ; for when an opening is made in the larynx 
below it no sound is produced by the passage of the air. It appears, how- 
ever, that both sides of this opening and the tense or relaxed condition of 
the parietes of the larynx contribute to modify the voice ; or, as it has been 
expressed, that the larynx is both a wind and string instrument, voice 
being, always acute in females, and in young persons previous to the age 
of liberty, at which time the diameter of the aperture n males under- 
goes a remarkable enlargement, and the state of tension in the ligaments 
of the glottis is always in correspondence with the narrowness of the 
opening. Voice has a further dependence on the length of tho- trachea 
(the respiratory tube). A singer who runs through the whole gamut, by 
passing from the upper to the lower notes, evidently shortens the 
neck and trachea, but vice versa, lengthens them to produce a contrary 
effect. The strength of the voice depends, then, upon the volume of air 
that can We expelled from the lungs, and on the greater or lesser power 
of vibration of the parietes of the canal, possessed in its passing out- 
wards. Birds, the bodies of which are most serial, have a voice very 
strong when compared to their size ; their trachea, provided with a double 
jarynx, is almost entirely cartilaginous, particularly in certain chattering 



AND V0CAL ILLUSIONS. 13 

birds, as the jay and some others, while it is nearly membranous in the 
hedgehog, the noise of which is almost imperceptible. 

" Speech is the prerogative solely of the human species. It is consti- 
tuted by modifications which ate made to pass through from the motions 
of the tongue, lips, &c. The ape, in which these parts are formed as in 
man, would speak like him, if the air in passing out of the larynx did not 
rush into the hyothyroid sacs, in some animals membranous, out cartila- 
ginous in others, and even osseous in the alouette or purr, whose howl is 
hideous and frightful. Every time the animal, the ape, wishes to cry, 
these sacs become distended, then emptied, so that it cannot furnish the 
different parts of the mouth with sounds to be articulated. 

•'Articulated sounds are constituted by vowels, the consonants being 
for the purpose of connecting vowels together. The utterance of con- 
sonants is necessarily more forced an unnatural than that of the vowels, 
hence the superior harmony of those languages which have the greater 
number of such letters, as in the ancient language of the Greeks ; and 
hence, on the other hand, the harshness of the German, Dutch and other 
languages. 

"Singing is performed by the enlargement and contraction of the 
glottis, by an elevation and depression of the larynx, by an elongation or 
shortening of the neck ; by an accelerated, prolonged or retarded inspira- 
tion ; and by either long or short and abrupt expirations. The agree- 
ableness, then, or adjustment of the voice, the extent and variety of in- 
flections of which it is capable, depend on the correct conformation of its 
organs, or the flexibility of the glottis, elasticity of its cartilages, and 
particular disposition of different parts of the month, nasal passages, &c. 
If the two halves of the larynx, or nasal fossoe, are unequally disposed, 
it is sufficient to occasion a defect, or precision and neatness of voice. 

" Stammering and lisp'jig are occasioned by a tongue too large, its 
frcenum being too long, and by deficiency or bad arrangement in the teeth. 
When the apex of the tongue is prevented from striking properly the 
roof of the mouth, an inability is produced in pronouncing the letter R. 

"Ventriloquism is an art by which certain persons can so modify the 
voice as to make it appear to the audience to proceed from any distance. 
The responses of many of the oracles of the Ancients were delivered by 
persons thus qualified to serve the purposes of illusion. 

"An exquisite delicacy of ear perceives every difference which change 
of place produces in the same sounds. Possessed of such an ear, and a 
sufficient command over the organs of speech to produce in all respects 
similar to another proceeding from any distinct object to the audience, 
the sound which the ventriloquist utters must appear to proceed from 
that object. There can be no doubt that, by a peculiar modification of 
the organs of speech, a sound of any kind can be produced, which in 
faintness, tone, body, and, in short, every other sensible quality, per- 
fectly resembles a sound delivered from the roof of a house opposite ; the 
ear will naturally, without examination, refer it to that situation and 
distance ; the sound which the person hears being only a sign, which he 
has from his infancy been constantly accustomed by experience to asso- 
ciate with the idea of a person speaking from a housetop. ■ If this theory 
be true, 1 asks the writer, ' how comes it that Ventriloquism is not more 
frequently and successfully practised ?' " 



14 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

The Vocal Organs and their Movements in Uttering 
Sounds and Vocalization. 



, L HE human voice has a power, influence, scope and reach little 
hj) known. Possessed by all mankind, with very few excep- 
tions, its faculty and physiological structure are misinterpreted. 
From the time of Galen to that of Dodart and Ferrein, in the 
eighteenth century, scientists have compared the organ of the 
voice to a flute ; and with that definition science remained perfect- 
ly content. The voice is the product of the actions of a com- 
plex system of the most delicate tone-generating vocal cords, 
acted upon by the lungs through its feeding pipes, conveying the 
breath to the cavities formed in the mouth by the different and 
varying actions of the glottis, the tongue and the lips. 

There have been comparisons made between the mechanism of 
the voice and the asolian harp, or the reed of the hautboy, but 
the most perfect musical invention ever made falls immeasurably 
short in capacity when compared with that of the human organ- 
ism. Every vocal articulation made in tones or noises requires 
the corresponding adjustment of the respective organs whose 
function it is to contribute to the enunciation of sound. This 
wonderful activity is seen in the facial muscles, in the movement 
of the lower jaw, of the lips, and even in the participating expres- 
sion of the eyes. Strange as it may seem, every normal human 
being — that is, every human being born without physical defect — 
is naturally formed to emit or utter all the sounds made by any 
other being, no matter what may be the language of his country. 
It is due to the associations surrounding the individual that he 
acquires only the habit or use of a limited number of articula- 
tions or expressions, and knows nothing of any other. It is only 
recently that science, by the means of a newly discovered instru- 
ment, called the laryngoscope* which acts as a mirror in showing 

* Two very instructive and impcrtant works have just been published by 
Messrs. J. B. Lippincott & Co., of Philadelphia, entitled, " The Voice in 
Speaking,' 1 and " The Voice in Singing; 11 translated from the German of 
Madame Emma Seiler by W. H. Furness, D. D., member of the Ameri- 
can Philosophical Society. In the latter work a full description of the 
laryngoscope and its uses is given. With this instrument can be observed 
the mechanism whereby tones are produced in the larynx. 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 15 

the action and vibrating changes of the vocal organs, has been 
enabled to define the natural laws on which all . sounds of the 
hunan voice depend ; and these are found to be the same in both 
sex?s in all mankind. It has been ascertained that speech is the re- 
sult of " the combined workings of two very different actions of our 
vo:al organs." The effect can be observed in the difference between 
ndse and tone. In whisperings there is only a muffled vibration 
of the air in the cavity of the mouth, occasioned by the action of 
the tongue and lips ; but when the cords in the larynx are excited 
by the breath, then come tone and voice. The speaking is thus 
changed from a whisper to loud talking. And as with whisper- 
ing so with whistling — the vocal cords have no play. 

In the vital function of the lungs there are two modes of res- 
piration, in one of which, by a continued emission of breath, is 
noticed a slight noise, as in ordinary breathing or sighing; but 
when the vocal cords impede the passage there is a jarring noise, 
as in snoring or groaning. The other mode is when the breath 
is ejected oy repeated jets, as in laughter, crying and sobbing, and 
in speaking or singing, in all of which there is more or less vocal- 
ization. When it is considered that the action of the respiratory and 
vocal organs are for the most part involuntary, it is not surprising 
that their neglect entails a multitude of evils, which the many are 
either unconscious of or do not notice. Continued speech or 
continued reading is to many a most fatiguing ordeal. That 
which ought to be a pleasure is an insufferable strain, through 
the want of a knowledge of the nature of the voice, and of the 
natural law which governs the act of inspiration. 

"With easy and regular inspiration or breathing, a moderate 
expenditure of breath is sufficient for the various vocal and syl- 
labic sounds, as in conversation, or even in singing. The voice 
should never be strained, and whenever there is discomfort in 
vocalization the effort should be stayed for awhile, for it is only 
by practice that sounds of a. high grade can be perfectly made. 
This is of essential importance to all who desire to conserve the 
voice, whether for the purpose of speaking, singing or ventrilo- 
quizing. To disregard this consideration is to render a certain 
failure in all attempts at perfection in theso arts, for it is to be 
borne in mind that all these are various modes of vocalization. 



16 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

Regarding the conservation of the voice, it is obvious that 
everything depends upon a healthy and normal state of the yocal 
organs, both as regards the vital functions of respiration and 
inspiration, and as regards the membranous fibres and cartilages 
of the throat also. Swollen tonsils, arising from cold, will entirely 
prejudice and hinder the proper action of the lungs and the sen- 
sitive vocal instruments, and thereby affect the general heath. 
"We have all read that man had " breathed into his nostrils ihe 
breath of life." The lips and mouth are not the true organs of 
inspiration or breathing. It is a prostitution of their functions 
to delegate to them the duties of another, that organ which nature 
has wisely appointed. The neglect of this obvious fact lays 
exposed the delicately formed mouth, the exquisitely sensitive 
membranes and filaments of the throat, and the still more deli- 
cate lungs, to the keen, penetrating atmosphere — thick and mias- 
matic, if hot, and equally dangerous if freezingly cold. Children 
ought to be taught these physiological truths in their early davs. 
The firmly compressed lips, there is no doubt, influence the char- 
acter, and have much to do with that self-possession and stamp 
of decision which are m fact the characteristics of an expressive 
countenance. The more these facts are generally known the 
fewer will be the wheezy, husky voices everywhere heard. A 
pamphlet by Catlin, entitled "Shut your Mouth, " treats this sub- 
ject in an exhaustive and convincing manner, and should be read 
by every one who desires to preserve in a healthly state the 
vocal and respiratory organs. 

All the varieties of which the human voice is capable in the 
vocalization of sounds, come under the following general category: 

1. Quality — such as rough, smooth, harsh, guttural, deep, full, 
shrill, thin or musical. 

2. Force — strong, weak, feeble, loud or faint. 

3. Time — long, short, quick, rapid or slow. 

4. Abruptness — sudden and full discharge of sound, explosive. 

5. Pitch — high or low, rise or fall. 

According to Dr. James Rush, of Philadelphia, the purest and 
most plastic sounds in the English language are heard in the usual 
sounds of the initial letters in the following words, twelv© in 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 17 

number — a-U, a-rt, a-n, a-le, o-ur, i-sle, <?-ld, ee-11, 00-ze, e-rr, 
e-nd, »-n — and are produced by the joint functions of the larynx 
and the adaptable conformation of the mouth and lips. In Ven- 
triloquism, however, all the outward manifestations have to be 
carefully avoided. All these elementary sounds can be uttered 
with more force and emphasis than any other. He calls these 
various sounds of the vowels tonic sounds. The next category 
consists of a number of sounds having properties similar to those 
of the vowels or tonics, but differing in degree ; such are the con- 
sonants in the following words, fourteen in number : J3-ow, <2-are, 
g-ive, tf-ile, z-one, y-e, w-o, th-en, a-z-ure, si-ng, Z-ove, m-ay, n-ot, 
r-oe. From their inferiority to the tonics he calls them sub-tonics. 
These have all a vocality, but in some there is combined an aspi- 
ration. Their vocality is modified by the action of the lips, teeth, 
tongue and nose. The remaining sounds, nine in number, are 
aspirations which have no vocality. They are found produced by 
a current of the whispering breath, as heard in the following 
words : JJ-p, ou-tf, ar-&, if yes 7i-e, w7i-eat, /7t-in, push. These 
he calls atonies. These make up the number of elemental sounds 
to thirty-five. The utterances of m, n, and ng are purely nasal. 
If their vocality were dropped, any attempt to utter them would 
be mere snuffling. The liquid expression of I is often marred by 
a deformity of utterance, generally caused by a fulness of the 
tongue, or of too much moisture thereon. The sub-tonic r is often 
blurred by an imperfect rattling of the tip of the tongue against 
the upper teeth. The gutteral r is occasioned by the vibration of 
the uvula at the back of the mouth. No pure tones can be given 
without a careful and full resonance of these so-called tonics and 
sub-tonic3. It is upon the basis of these elementary sounds that 
the art of phonography, or short-hand writing, is instituted, by 
giving a sign to each of these sounds. 

The natural voice is that used in ordinary speaking, and has 
a range from the lowest sound to that point where it is said to 
break. At this point the natural voice gives place to the falsetto, 
a peculiar sharp shrillness of tone in which may be included a cry, 
a scream or a yell. The falsetto is incapable of uttering the 
atonies. 



18 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

The highest character of the speaking voice is, however, the 
orotund, so called by Dr. Rush, to designate that full resounding 
musical tone in expressing any of the elementary sounds, and 
which he considers the only proper voice to use — the one that is 
cultivated, and not vitiated by the growth of natural defects, as 
is the case with nearly all neglected or uncultivated natural 
voices. 

The orotund voice can only be acquired by careful practice in 
correctly intoning all the tonic and subtonic sounds, which gains 
for the voice an elasticity, strength, depth and clearness of reson- 
ance agreeably surprising to any one who may not have given any 
previous attention thereto. The result is a ringing and musical 
quality quite delightful to hear and listen to, but rarely heard ex- 
cept from an occasional orator or actor on the stage. By degrees 
there is acquired in this practice a beautifully distinct pronuncia- 
tion, a depth of power and intonation which, it must be noted, 
are highly essential in vocalizing ventriloquially. This full, deep 
chested voice is not fatiguing, for it requires no undue exertion. 
The lower tones or sounds do not require so many vibrations of 
the vocal cords as the upper notes, and hence do not waste or ex- 
haust the breathing powers. For if the lungs be naturally filled 
with air, every note or sound, especially on the lower scale, can 
be made with ease and regularity, with its due proportion of 
breath necessary for so doing; but any attempt to raise the voice 
beyond its'just natural pitch, and persist in its maintenance, will 
be as needlessly fatiguing and will create as speedy an exhaustion 
as when, instead of walking, one were to run always at full speed. 
Thus the inference is plain that nature permits only a just and 
moderate use of its powers — the penalty for the infringement be- 
ing loss of strength and exhaustion. 

These cautions are especially necessary to all who intend prac- 
ticing Ventriloquism. He who possesses a voice of this orotund 
character can better encounter the additional strain on the vocal 
organs necessitated by directing their functions to a new and 
strange exercise, which, however, will become more and more 
easy with moderate and regular practice. A ventriloquial voice, 
of whatever character it may be, requires a retention of the in- 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. " 19 

spired air in the lungs, which calls for some additional support 
from the abdominal muscles, the diaphragm of the stomach and 
the muscles of the chest. The cavity in the mouth is enlarged, 
as well as that in the glottis, and the passage of the air checked 
by the retraction of the tongue, which muffles the sound of the 
vocal cords and causes the voice to sound as from a distance. 
Thus, new conformations are made in the mouth by the varying 
positions of the tongue and by drawing the lips down on one side 
or the other, which materially changes the sounds of the voice, 
for through being so muffled they are originated from a greater 
depth in the larynx and ventricles, and thereby acquire those 
characteristics which are called ventriloquial. 

Now, it has been ascertained by repeated ocular examinations 
with the laryngoscope previously mentioned, and only recently 
discovered, that "only the lower vocal cords serve directly for 
the generations of sound." That the vibration of these cords in 
the production of sound from the ventricles is an established fact, 
from the evidence of personal consciousness of the tremor in the 
chest when they are in action, is also confirmed from the follow- 
ing observations : " Each of the parallel pairs of cords forms be- 
tween the edges a slit running antero-posteriorly (called the 
glottis). The lower or true vocal cords approach in vocalization 
to close contact, while the upper cords scarcely move, and leave a 
Wide elliptical opening between them. As the upper cords have 
their points of attachment posteriorly and higher, they form with 
the two lower cords two lateral cavities — the ventricles. The two 
pairs of cords are the free interior edges of the membrane lining 
the whole larynx and extending into it to the right and left. More 
or less stretched, and presenting resistance to the air forcibly ex- 
pelled from the lungs through the trachea, they are thus made to 
vibrate. The upper or false vocal cords do not cooperate with 
them to generate tone, bat like all the remaining parts of the 
mouth and throat belong to the resonance apparatus of the voice, to 
which also appertains the back part of the mouth, the pharynx, 
above the assophagus, that is, the throat or gullet. This is sepa- 
rated from the anterior cavity of the mouth by the soft palate, the 
form and place of which in the mouth every one knows. "When 



20 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

a normal voice utters its lowest tones upon the vowel a, this be- 
ing the vowel sound most favorable for observation, the follow- 
ing may be observed in the mirror : The arytenoid cartilages 
with great rapidity raise their points, the cartilages of Santorini 
in their mucous membraneous covering, and close firmly together. 
In like manner the vocal cords approach each other until their 
edges touch through their entire length. The upper or false vocal 
cords likewise approach each other, leaving, however, a space be- 
tween them. When the scale is slowly sung upward legato, 
step by step, the above described movement of the cartilages and 
the vocal cords is repeated with every new tone, partly separating 
and partly closing again. The vocal cords, in the production of 
the lowest tones of the voice, are moved through their whole lengih 
and breadth by large loose vibrations, which are communicated 
to the other parts of the interior of the larynx. "With every higher 
tone the glottis is somewhat shortened, and the vocal cords are 
more and more stretched. The raising of the pitch is thus effected 
by the greater stretching and shortening to a certain point." 

To those who may not have given any attention to this study, 
it is almost inconceivable to realize the wonderful and unique 
organism of the human voice; and this seems none the less 
strange when it is considered that every one of us possesses it, 
with more or less its scope and powers, its fulness, melody and 
reach. It is the careful training of this delicately formed organ- 
ism which gives to speakers, singers and ventriloquists all their 
several fine tones, and modulations, in fact, all their character- 
istic effects. To the speakers and singers who so often complain 
of fatigue the suggestion is very apposite, as each may have 
reason enough to corroborate — they have been straining after 
effect. Most ventriloquists have acknowledged that they have 
often experienced fatigue in the chest, which they have attrib- 
uted to the slow respiration of the breath in exercitation, al- 
though probably it is due to persisting in a high pitched voice, 
when a middle voice would serve well enough as a contrast to 
the ordinary one. For perfecting the vocal powers it is neces- 
sary, therefore, to allow the voice to habituate its tones to the 
orotund basis, or timbre as it is called, and then it will be better 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 21 

adapted to the development of even more difficult and astonishing 
powers than it would otherwise be capable of; for none of these 
qualities can be attained by either occasional or constant forcing 
or straining ; but by moderate and regular efforts success is cer- 
tain. 

Temperament has a great influence on the tone of the voice. A 
hasty temper finds vent in high pitched tones, which by degrees 
breaks the natural pitch of the voice into a falsetto, which be- 
comes habitual. Such shrill voices are always painful to the 
ear, either in singing or speaking, especially with women and 
boys. The vixen always betrays her temperament the instant her 
mouth is opened, in the efforts she makes to speak loud and reach 
her "top note." Were the shrew to know how she thus labors 
to increase the vibrations of her vocal cords, when one tithe of 
the effort is sufficient for the natural low colloquial tone, she might 
direct her temper to a better and wiser purpose. 

The vocal organs of every man, woman and child act and react, 
contract and expand, according to the rise and fall of the voice in 
the same way. And yet, although all have faces and voices sim- 
ilar, there are no two alike. The inner nature stamps its impress 
on both, which may often enough be observed unmistakably. Like 
the expression of the features, the tone of the voice is a reflection 
of the character, and men are judged favorably or unfavorably 
according to such impressions as these may make on others. A 
keen insight into these characteristics of human nature is of no 
little advantage to the ventriloquist, who has to seize upon and 
mimic the eccentricities of voice and manner. 



j 



22 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

On the Effects of Sound.— How to Estimate them 
for Ventriloquial Purposes. 

p is well known that sound radiates from any given centre. 
(^1 As a pebble dropped into still water causes a wave-ring 
to strike out from the place wherein it fell, so a sound made by 
striking any stationary body ramifies in wave lines of the air in 
every direction, as far as the atmosphere will permit. When the 
sound is steady and distinct, it is called tone ; when it is irregu- 
lar or confused it is called noise. Thus, a key struck on a piano 
or other musical instrument gives a tone or note ; but if many be 
struck at once, indiscriminately, there are occasioned noise and 
discord. A bird, such as a canary, whistles distinctly, and there- 
fore gives forth pleasing and tuneful notes, while the notes of a 
parrot, being given confusedly, grate harshly on the ear, and create 
a noisy and unpleasant impression. 

These wave lines are, however, circumscribed by intervening 
obstacles. In water, a piece of wood or a ship will beat back 
the rising waves, which will subside before them, to reunite at 
a lesser or greater distance, according to their strength on the 
other side — the space immediately behind the obstacles being un- 
affected, calm or placid still water. On the other hand, the air, 
being more rarefied than water, carries the wave lines at a greater 
velocity, and for this reason they are more easily confined by ob- 
stacles, such as surrounding walls or buildings, and diverted by a 
slighter effort than the other. The space behind or beyond the 
obstacles intervening receives either no wave-line sound at all, or 
so modified as to leave the impression of being muffled, faint, or 
distant. 

The strength of a sound depends on the breadth of its vibra- 
tions—that is, on the waves of vibration of the air. The pitch 
of a tone depends upon the number of the vibrations — that is, the 
higher the number the higher the pitch, and the lower the num- 
ber the lower the pitch. Hence, tones of a; high pitch necessi- 
tate greater force to maintain the greater number of vibrations; 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 23 

while the lower tones, though equally as loud, have fewer vibra- 
tions, and, consequently, call for lesser force or effort. 

r— £— zqq " The F sharp is the natural point of transition in all voices ; 
rEhi^q from the chest voice to the falsetto was known to the old 
lsjz-^j Italian singing masters ; for the •~^.—z^z\ A natural, by 

which instruments are usually tuned, and E &—^ z \ ? ^ C ? Wa ? re ~ 
garded by them as the highest chest tone, "Jj" ' ° nun " 

dred and fifty years ago, 3?0 vibrations— the same number as our present 
F sharp. 

"A second is used as the unit of time, and by number of variations 
is understood the number which the sounding body gives forth in a second 
of time. The tones used in music lie between 40 and 4,000 vibrations 
per second in the extent of seven octaves. The tones used Which we 
can perceive lie between 16 and 38,000 vibrations to the second within 
the compass of eleven octaves. The one lined A natural, from which all 
instruments are tuned, has now usually 440 to 450 vibrations to the sec- 
ond in America and England. The French Academy, however, has 
recently established for the same note 435 vibrations, and this lower 
tuning has been universally introduced in Germany. 

" The octave of a tone has in the same time exactly twice as many vibra- 
tions as the tone itself. The fifth above the first octave has three times 
as many ; the second octave four times ; the major third above the 
second "octave five times ; the fifth of the same octave six times ; and 
the minor seventh of the same octave seven times."— The Voice in peak- 
ing. Article on Acoustics. 

It is therefore of considerable importance to acquire a just 
discrimination of the strength and pitch of sounds, for everything 
audible comes under the category of tone or noise, the latter of 
which is generally the most difficult to account for, especially as 
regards distance and direction. The ear, of all the senses, is no 
doubt the most susceptible of being deceived. We judge of the 
distance-and direction that sounds have travelled by referring to 
our former experience, although this reference may possibly be 
an involuntary act of the mind. In a city where the streets are 
laid out with that irregularity for which our ancestors seem to 
have been so intent upon making themselves famous, how often 
has the ear been perplexed as to the direction of the church 
steeple whence the sounds come of the pealing chimes ! The 
tortuous streets and alley ways, and the higher prominent build- 
ings, divert the sounds and shoot off the wave lines in opposite 
directions, while the hearer, being in some place intervening, 
where the wave lines have been forced in angular or zigzag di- 
rections, is puzzled to account whether they come from the right 
or the left. The ear cannot be relied upon for a correct percep- 
tion of the direction of the wave lines of sound. It even falsifies 



24 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

the oft repeated assertion that "seeing is believing," for the eye 
is often directed to other objects than the one to which the true 
cause of sound should have been referred. This misjudgment of 
the sense of hearing renders it a very uncertain guide, and thus 
leaves the mind open to all those illusions which can be created 
by the muffled and imitative articulations or sounds made by the 
studiously devised arts of the ventriloquist. 

The undulations of the air which convey sounds strike the drum 
or tympanum of the ear, a fine, delicate membrane, which closes 
the aperture, and as this is affected by the number and volume of 
these undulations, we obtain the sense of the strength and pitch 
of sound. The number of vibrations which the ear experiences 
is said to be twenty-four thousand, and are all included in a 
range of nine octaves, from the lowest bass note to the highest 
ascertained tick of an insect. These vibrations of the tympanum 
are communicated by the auric nerves to the brain, the seat of the 
mind, by which all outward impressions on the physical senses 
are reflected, estimated and adjudged, pleasurable or the reverse. 

To comprehend the nice distinctions in sound it is especially 
of the greatest importance to study its several manifestations and 
differences; and to none can this be of greater interest than the 
ventriloquial learner. To judge nicely the effects of distance and 
direction of audible impressions or sounds is as necessary as ac- 
quiring the facility of uttering vocal or ventriloquial effects. 

.Now, if the hands be pressed firmly and closely over the ears, 
the pressure of the air internally creates a sense of confused hum- 
ming. Any external sound will then have a different effect, as 
regards strength and remoteness. The ears being closed, the 
vibrations of the air are shut off from directly acting on the drum 
of the ear. Now, if a few words be spoken with the ears thus 
stopped, the sound will be felt to reach the auric nerves internally 
by a tube at the back part of the mouth, which conveys the vi- 
bration to the cavity behind the drum of the ear. This is called 
the Eustachian tube, and it enables the ventriloquist to judge 
whether his voice is so pitched or modified as to resemble one 
from a distance — for it will be noted that the same sound differs 
when the hands are removed. Replacing them again, the sound 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS 25 

is obscured, which should be particularly noted, so that when the 
hands be again removed the voice must be so disposed as to imi- 
tate to the open ears the sound which was heard when they 
were muffled. And in these investigations all manner of tones 
and noises should be tried, their phenomena accurately observed; 
then the would-be ventriloquist will begin to understand his 
physical powers, and the range, modulations and capabilities of 
the human voice. 

An able writer on the subject says: "Too much attention 
cannot be bestowed on the study of sound as it falls on the ear, 
and an endeavor to imitate it as it is heard — for the ' secret ' of 
the art is that as perspective is to the eye so is Yentriloquism to 
the ear. When we look at the painting of a landscape some of 
the objects appear at a distance; but we know that it is only the 
skill of the artist which has made it appear as the eye has seen 
it in reality. In exactly the same manner a ventriloquist acts 
upon and deceives the ear, by producing sounds as they are heard 
from any known distance." 

It must always be remembered that the object of the ventrilo- 
quist is to make sounds not as they are heard at their source, but 
as they are heard after the wave line vibrations of the air have 
conveyed them from a distance more or less remote, or obscured 
by some apparent intervening obstacles. 

People speak in the ordinary way, i. e., from the forward part 
of the mouth and lips, without any perceptible conscious effort, 
the mind being intent upon the subject of the conversation rather 
than its mode ; but when they sing their attention is aroused to 
the pitch, tone and time of the voice, and they know that the act 
needs an awakening up from the indifferent mood in which ordi- 
nary talk or speech is delivered. In ventriloquial efforts, for 
the very reason that they are exceptional utterances of sounds, 
there is a still greater attention and energy called for than in the 
others, as there is the necessity for studiously observing and 
managing with greater care the effects of one's vocal powers or 
capabilities. The grand difficulty with the learner consists in not 
knowing their range and strength, which can only be obviated 
by practice, and testing them according to the instructions 
herein given. 



26 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

How to Begin and Practice Ventriloquism, with 
Entertaining Dialogues for Rehearsal. 

jffd S a preliminary exercise let the learner place himself before a 
*£j) mirror — a standing position is preferable — and endeavor, 
while in the act of speaking, to maintain a fixity of countenance, a 
rigidity of the muscles and nerves of the face and lips, so that no 
visible movement may be noticed in them. As the tonic sounds 
are the basis of vocalization, let him begin by enunciating the 
vowels fully forward in the mouth, saying, with distinctness and 
regularity, each sound by itself — ah-a-e-i-o-u. 

Next close the mouth, and rest the upper teeth on the inner 
part of the lower lip. Be certain that the expression is perfectly 
easy and natural. Then practice the vowel sounds without dis- 
turbing that expression. It will soon be discovered that several 
different tones can be produced on the same vowel. Begin by 
forcing the sound against the extreme front part of the roof of 
the mouth. 

Then force the sound against the back part of the roof of the 
mouth — the palate — still keeping the countenance easy and 
natural. 

Next, practice to stop, or shut off the sound by the upper part 
of the windpipe. In order to ascertain the exact spot here indi- 
cated, perform the act of swallowing and you will find a subdued 
"cluck 1 ' made in the throat at the precise spot where you can 
develop the power of speaking inwardly. 

Let the above be considered the first and most important 
lesson to be carefully and diligently practiced. Above all, be 
careful to avoid straining the throat. The power of contraction 
and expansion must be developed gradually. 

After having practiced the foregoing sufficiently to comprehend 
its importance, proceed to practice in the same manner, to utter 
the sub-tonic sounds, the consonants D, G-, K, L, N, B, S, T, in con- 
junction with each word sound. Thus : dah, day, dee, die, doe, 
du; gah, gay, gee, gi, go, gu, and so on with the rest. 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 2? 

The consonants b, p, f v and m necessitate in articulation some 
degree of facial movement. To obviate this they can be at times 
left alone, as in the sentence, " Mind what you are about," which, 
by emphasizing the tonic sounds of the vowels, cau be expressed, 
" 'ind what you are awout." This mode is necessary when 
speaking with a full face to the hearers: but the better plan to 
adopt, in order to utter more distinctly, is to turn the face from 
them, as in profile, and then, by drawing down the lips on the 
right or left, speak, as it were, from one side of the face only, 
keeping an immobility of appearance on that side facing the 
audience- In exercising this profile mode it may be necessary to 
have the monitorship of some witness to check any facial action. 

Now proceed to practice short sentences with due regard to 
the preceding observation. Keep the mouth closed, with the 
upper row of teeth resting unperceivedly, lightly and firmly on 
the lower lip. Keep steadily in view the injunction to force the 
sound first against the roof of the mouth and back part of the 
palate. "When practicing to shut off the sound by closing the 
upper part of the windpipe, extend the stomach at each abrupt 
ejaculation, and it will be found to give forth increased power 
and volume to the sound. The lungs should be always kept 
amply sustained with a reserve force of breathing power, and 
each syllable have its due yet economical apportionment of 
breath. It has been shown that " by a voluntary power over the 
muscles of respiration the breath in speech is dealt out to suc- 
cessive syllables in such small portions as may be requisite for 
the time and force'of each. In thus guarding against waste the 
necessity of frequent inspiration is obviated, and the ability of 
pausing freely in the course of expiration between syllables aud 
words allows a subsequent abrupt opening of the voice whenever 
it is required for the purpose of speech." 

As a means of testing and improving the voice Dr. Rush says, : 

" The act of coughing may be made by a series of short, abrupt 
efforts in expiration, or by one continued impulse which yields 
up the whole of the breath. Now, this last named mode forms 
one of the means for acquiring the orotund voice. Let the com- 
pound function, consisting of an exploded vocality and subjoined 



\ 



28 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

aspiration, be changed into an entire vocal sound, and there will 
be produced, with continued cultivation, the sonorous quality 
called the orotund. When freed from abruptness it is like the 
voice which accompanies gaping, a hollow ringing sound, different 
from colloquial utterances." By practicing this artificial cough, 
as distinguished from the natural cough, its clearness and smooth- 
ness will be thereby improved, and a good basis will be obtained 
for ventriloquial exercitation and in discovering vocal force. 

A few weeks' practice of the foregoing will enable you to select 
a tone of voice best suited to your powers. Having done this, 
practice on that tone and in that voice until your ear becomes well 
accustomed to its sound and character. 

And now there will be a difficulty to be met by those who are 
unacquainted with music — the question of the pitch of the voice. 
A good ear, however, and patient practice, will overcome, in a 
measure, this difficulty. The pitch of the natural voice — that is, 
its rise and fall — will not correspond with the assumed voice, for 
one will be of a higher pitch than the other. In ventriloquizing 
each voice must necessarily possess a pitch adapted to it, to main- 
tain a regulated rise and fall corresponding to its tone. Hence 
the learner will do well to cultivate one assumed voice at a time, 
and not venture all at once into a medley of voices. The quality 
of the voice must be strictly maintained, so that all the tonic and 
sub-tonic sounds will correspond to it, to mark the differencs 
between it and the natural voice, or any other voice afterwards 
assumed. It will be understood, therefore, that the pitch and 
quality of an assumed voice must be observed throughout. Im- 
press well on the ear the exact tone and pitch, not only of the 
natural voice but of the ventriloquial one also. When this is 
achieved great progress has been made, and the road to success 
is fairly cleared to the learner. The transition from one voice to 
the other is then made with certainty, and with that distinction 
which will mark well the one from the other — so necessary in 
alternate conversational dialogues. 

The falsetto voice in Ventriloquism is very different from the 
falsetto voice in singing. The singer produces it by compression 
of the larymx. The smaller the orifice through which the air is 



AND TOCAL ILLUSIONS. 29 

forced the shriller the note. But the ventriloquist not only com- 
presses the larynx, but directs the sound to that part of the roof of 
the mouth which communicates with the nose. It must be observed 
that where this voice in speaking is wanting, no amount of prac- 
tice will acquire it. If any have this falsetto on the voice it can 
be made of good use iu amusing ventriloquial effects; but where 
it is not, it is useless, as has been experienced, in wasting time 
and breath in the effort to acquire it. The simple rule for this 
falsetto speaking voice is to practice it according to the prelimi- 
nary instructions : look in the glass — keep the face quite still — 
and then direct the sound into the nose. This will not only aid 
in acquiring certainty and celerity in its production, but it will 
give a peculiar tone to the voice which is very effective. 

Another effective voice is the guttural, whether used as ordina- 
rily or ventriloquially. It expresses the most powerful disgust, 
contempt and hatred. In exploding this voice abruptly the 
speaker feels, from the vibration of the vocal cords, that they con- 
vey an intense feeling, that the effect must spread wide, and whilst 
the air i3 assailed with its percussion, that it must, as Dr. Rush 
says, " break through the ear into the understanding and heart 
of an audience."* 

The distant voices, whether above or below, on the other 
side of a closed door or outside the window, are all produced in 
the same way. There is, in fact, only one distant voice; the place 
from whence it seems to come must be suggested by acting, and 
the imagination of the hearers will do the rest. 

To illustrate this more fully, and show how the judgment of 
both ear and eye may be deluded, let us suppose that the learner 
is about to manifest his powers before a company, who, it must 
be remembered, are all predisposed to be entertained, which very 
fact renders their curiosity and eagerness auxiliary agents in 
the illusion, because they are going to witness something which, 
contrary to their previous experience, goes against the actual evi- 
dence of their senses. 

* In the play of The Tempest there is a capital dialogue lor a ventri- 
loquial study, in the second scene of Act III. The guttural voice belongs 
to such a character as that of the hateful Caliban, while the words spoken 
by the "invisible Ariel" can be given with telling effect in the ventrilo- 
quial falsetto voice. 



30 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

The performer takes his stand at one end of the room, the 
larger the better, the audience being at the other. He prefaces 
the subject in a natural, easy manner, which must be done with 
considerable confidence. He begins by determining the voice 
which he is going to imitate, and in that voice, without any attempt 
at disguise or ventriloquial effect, calls out "Hallo!" By prolong- 
ing the sound of the o, and holding it steady, the note or pitch 
is ascertained. Then close the mouth with the teeth, as before 
described, and in the identical pitch and tone repeal with force the 
answering "Hallo," shutting off the sound at the back of the 
throat, and at the same time pressing, as it were, with the stomach 
the sound upward against the top of the windpipe at the spot where 
the "cluck" is made in the act of swallowing. If the pitch of 
this suppressed voice is exactly one octave higher than the open 
one, it will have the effect of the same voice at a long distance, 
or it may appear as from a room above, or from the roof. 

Any one having an ear keenly appreciative of the distinctions 
of sound and voices, will be able, with very little effort, to imitate 
any peculiarity of voice and manner that may have been im- 
pressed forcibly upon their attention. Wherever there is an in- 
tense desire to mimic there is certain to be some latent power 
which only requires developing. Such voices as may be with 
little difficulty so copied, are invariably such as a learner can 
easily turn into ventriloquial illusions. A natural aptitude for 
mimicry, and expressing the emotional feelings naturally, which 
is, in fact, the essence of histrionic art, are just the qualifications 
to cultivate in the furtherance of ventriloquial effect. 

This exquisite perception of character, feeling and expression, 
is admirably recorded by Madame Seiler : 

" There is a little comedy which has recently passed from the 
German to the English stage, the title of which is ' Gome Here. 1 
A stage manager is represented as examining a young actress 
whom he requires to express with these two words every variety 
of emotion, from the greatest joy to the deepest sorrow and de- 
spair. When I saw Madame Janauschek I was quite moved, 
and made to share in the variety of emotions expressed. Simply 
by varying the vocal tones, the shadowings, intonations and tempi 



AND YOCAL ILLUSIONS. 31 

of those tones, the artist was able to utter these two syllables so 
as to produce in the hearer one state of feeling after another, of 
the mo^t different and opposite character, with a success not to 
be obtained by the most elaborate and vivid description. And 
this effect was secured simply by the modulation of the voice." 

This demonstrates that the ventriloquist has to acquire even 
something beyond the specialty of vocalizing ''inwardly." In 
all or any of his illustrations he has to enter into the spirit of the 
occasion, and has even the double character to play of identifying 
himself with his hearers in their curiosity, acting as their inquirer 
or spokesman, and on the other hand, responding without ap- 
pearing to respond ; acting without appearing to act. He who 
becomes perfect in all these may rank as a true artist. 



Polyphonism and Ventriloquism, 

To imitate sounds and voices, such as the braying of an ass, the 
lowing of cattle, the bleating of sheep, the barking of a dog, the 
humming of bees, the buzzing of wasps or flies, is called Polypho- 
nism. Most people can imitate some or all of these sounds or 
voices, or have done so in their schooldays; and they know 
that it was the natural result of an inherent aptitude for mimicry. 
The distinction between Polyphonism and Ventriloquism may be 
very trifling; but there is a difference, and that consists in this, 
that the Yentriloquist not only imitates sounds, but makes them 
"inwardly," so that the voice appears distant, and not present, and 
the more remote the greater is the illusion. Besides which, 
Polyphonism has little in common with Yocalization ; while, on 
the other hand, Ventriloquism rests upon Vocalization and its 
modifications. Thus the use of the liquid consonants 11, as in the 
Welsh name Llangollen, will, by constant repetition, convey iden- 
tically the same sounds as water boiling and hissing. And the 
use of the consonants sz alternately, will in a similar manner pro- 
duce the sound of something frying or stewing. An amusing ex- 
periment may be made of the effect by taking two empty plates, 
using one as a cover to the other, and pretending to cook a chop or 



32 MACCABE'8 art of ventriloquism 

steak. By modulating the hissing sounds of these consonants the 
fancied meat may be apparently stewing or frying. If the top 
plate is raised a little the sound will be suitably made louder by 
a well timed guttural effort, resembled by gurgling. The raising 
and the lowering of the top plate, and the various modulations of 
these consonants, with the turning of the face in profile to the 
witnesses, will convey — especially to the young — a pleasing illu- 
sion, which might be heightened all the more if this amateur 
sort of cooking were to be performed with the plates upon a 
stove. [These are, however, but simple matters to the learner, 
whose object should be toward perfection in lingual expressions, 
or conversation with the "distant voice."] The dialogues herein 
given are merely for preliminary rehearsals; it rests with the 
learner to make others, and to make them effective, both as a 
mimic and a ventriloquist. One month's daily practice will enable 
him to illustrate and bring out their salient points, the proper 
emphasis on a syllable or a tone, and to astonish his uninitiated 
friends with the " strange voice " within him. Above all, let him 
not strain after effect, but bear in mind that moderation gains 
more than excess in enjoyment, and that by practice alone can 
he attain perfection. 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 33 



VENTRILOQUIAL DIALOGUES. 



THE MAN IN THE CHIMNEY 

AND 

THE MAN ON THE ROOF. 

Speaker. " Hillo ! is anybody here ?" 

Voice. "Hillo!" 

Speaker. " Where are you ?" 

Voice. "Hillo! I'm here, up the chimney. 11 (Pronounced EiUo\ 
Ing here uck the chingney.) 

Speaker. " What are you doing in the chimney ?" 

Voice. "I'm putting (pronounced Ping hfutling) a clean col- 
lar on." 

Speaker. "You've selected a strange place to put on a clean 
collar." 

Voice. " Not at all, it's a very suitable (pronounced suiiagle) place 
(hclace)." 

Speaker. "Oh! no doubt it's soot-able enough up there. Well, 
come down." 

Voice. " All right ; Pm coming down." 

Speaker. "Take care!" 

Voice. "I know; I've been here before." 

Speaker. " Are you here now ?" 

Voice. " I'm here now." 

Up to this point the learner will be careful to gradually increase 
the volume of the ventriloquial voice and decrease his own. At 
the last phrase stoop down towards the mouth of the chimney and 
say, " I'm here now" out of the corner of the mouth, explosively, 
at the same instant starting back as though surprised. 

Speaker. "Hillo! you startled me." 

Voice. "Did I?" 

Speaker. " Yes, you did. Get up a little higher. I don't like 
you to be so near." 

2 



34 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

Voice. " A little higher ?" 

Speaker. " Yes, just a little." 

Voice. "Well, there; will that do?" 

Speaker. " No, a little farther " (and so on until you fix the tone 
of voice you find best suited to your powers). 

" Now, ladies and gentlemen, I have here a rather comical fel- 
low. You'll find he's got a peculiarity that makes his conversa- 
tion very droll. He cannot give a straightforward answer to any 
question I ask him, and I have to fence with him a good deal." 
(Turning to the chimney.) " I say." 

Voice. "Hillo!" 

Speaker. " I'm going to ask you a few questions." 

Voice. "Are you?" 

Speaker. " Yes; will you answer them?" (Slight pause.) 

Voice. "Willi what?" 

Speaker. " Will you answer my questions ?" 

Voice. " I don't know, but (just) I'll try." 

Speaker. M What is your name ?" 

Voice. "What d'ye say?" 

Speaker. " There, now ! Why didn't you answer my question ?" 

Voice. "What did you say?" 

Speaker. "I said, what is your name ?" 

Voice. " Oh ! did you say that?" 

Speaker. "Yes." 

Voice (deliberately). " Oh ! I didn't know you said that." 

Speaker. "Well." 

Voice. "Well." 

Speaker. " Well, you haven't told me yet." 

Voice. "Told you what?" 

Speaker. " I want to know your name." 

Voice. " My name ?" (Pronounce name as nayng.) 

Speaker. u Yes, come now, answer my question ; what is your 
name?" 

Voice. " Do you mean my Christian name?" 

Speaker "Oh I I don't care." 

(Say this with your face to the audience; throw your hands apart 
in an appropriate gesture : " J don't care 11 ). 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 35 

Voice. " No more do I." 

(In this phrase (here is the labial sound, m, which will necessitate 
the turning of the face from the audience, unless the learner can pro- 
nounce the word name as nayxo without facial movement.) 

Speaker " Well, never mind, I will call you Bill; will that do?" 

Voice. "That'll do." 

Speaker, "Now, Bill " 

Voice. "Well." 

Speaker. " Can you do anything to amuse the audience?" 

Voice. " What do you say ?" 

Speaker. " Don't say that." 

Voice. "What shall I say?" 

Speaker. " Repeat my words, so that I will know you have 
heard the question." 

Voice. " I say what you say?" 

Speaker. "Yes." 

Voice. "All right; goon." 

Speaker. "Now, then, can you do anything?" 

Voice. " Can I do anything ?" 

Speaker. " Yes, to amuse." 

Voice. " To angyuse ?" 

Speaker. "Yes; the audience." 

Voice. " The what?" 

Speaker. " The audience." 

Voice. " What's that?" 

Speaker (impatiently). Now, Bill, I think you are prevaricating." 

Voice. " You think I'm what?" 

Speaker. " I think you are prevaricating." 

Voice. " No, I'm not ; I'm sitting down." 

Speaker. il Well, as the lawyers say, I'll put the question in 
another form. Can you do anything that is amusing?" 

Voice. "Amusing?" 

Speaker. "Yes." 

Voice. " Why, o' course I can." 

Speaker. "Well, what can you do?" 

Voice. " What can I do ?" 

Speaker. " Yes, what can you do that is amusing?" 



36 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

Voice. " I can eat, and drink, and swear, and : 



Speaker (interrupting). "Oh! no; you must not do that; we 
would not be amused at that." 

Voice, "/would/ 7 

Speakei\ " Oh ! I dare say you would. Can you sing a song ?" 

Voice. u Can I sing a song f* 

Speaker. " Yes, can you sing a song ?" 

Voice. " Well, I don't know." 

Speaker. '' Tou don't know ?" 

Voice. " No, I do not.' T 

Speaker. "Well, go on and we'll try you." 

Voice. "You'll not try me, if I know it." 

Speaker. "Why not?" 

Voice. " I was tried once and I didn't like it." 

Speaker. " Who tried you ?" 

Voice. "Judge ." (Name some well known judge.) 

Speaker. " But I didn't mean that." 

Voice. ".He did." 

Speaker. " What did he try you for ?" 

Voice. " For ngwaking a skeech." 

Speaker. "What, you make a speech ?" 

Voice. "Yes, I did." 

Speaker. " What did you say ?" 

Voice. "I said 'not guilty.' " 

Speaker. " Was that your speech ?' r 

Voice. "That's all I said." 

Speaker. " Well, that was a very short speech.' ' 

Voice. " He gie me ten days for saying dat." 

Speaker (to the audience). I think it will not be safe to go any 
farther into the antecedents of this fellow. I'll get some one else 
to talk to (turning to the chimney). 

" Have you got anybody with you to-night?" 

Voice. "I got Jem here." 

Speaker. " Where is he V 

Voice. " He's on the roof." 

Speaker. " Do you mean to say that he is up there ? (Pointing to 
ceiling.) 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 3t 

Voice. "He's ou the roof, I know that." 

Speaker. " Will you call him or shall I?" 

Voice. lt You'd better call him yourself; he wouldn't hear me." 

Speaker. " Very well." 

At this point of the dialogue I have always managed to pro- 
duce a good effect in the following simple manner : Look up to the 
ceiling and down at the spot where are you standing, as if measur- 
ing the distance you are about to throw your ^voice ; move a step 
or two, as if selecting the best point to speak from ; place your 
hand to the side of your mouth, as if to shout up to the man ou 
the roof; be careful to place the hand that will hide your lips from 
your audience, and at the very moment that they fully expect you 
are going to shout up to Jem on the roof, speak out of the side of 
your mouth next to the chimney, saying, " Are you goin' to call 
him ?" Say this quietly, with a full tone ; at the same moment 
quickly turn your face to the chimney, as though you were 
interrupted and started, saying, " What do you say ?' 

Though this may read as a very simple matter, the effect will 
be found to be very good if it is done easily and naturally. Con- 
tinue the dialogue thus : 

Voice (quietly). " Are you going to call him ?" 

Speaker (going right to the chimney). " What?" 
Voice (loud and impatient). a Are you going to call him ? I said." 

Speaker. "I was just going to call him then." 

Voice. " You'll have to call him loud or he'll not hear you." 

Speaker. " la* he deaf?" 

Voice. " No, he's hard of hearing," 

Speaker. "Oh, I'll make him hear me." 

Here repeat the action of looking up and placing the hand to 
the mouth as if about to shout, and say as before, out of the cor- 
ner of the mouth, next to the chimney : 

Voice. " He'll not hear you if you dcn't call him loud. I know, 
'cos I called him the other night and he didn't hear," &c. (At 
the first words of this sentence turn and look towards the chimney, 
keep up the voice, gradually dropping the tone and speaking indis- 
tinctly, as though Bill were talking to himself.) 

Speaker. You mustn't interrupt me, I was just going to call 
him when you began to " 



38 maccabe's art of ventriloquism- 

Voice. I was only telling you to call him loud." 

Speaker. " Well, don't tell me, but listen; I'm going to call 
him now." 

Voice. "Loud?" 

Speaker. "Yes." 

Voice. " He won't hear if you don't." 

Speaker. "Be quiet." (Calling), " Jem!" 

Voice. " He won't hear that." 

Speaker. "Now, will you keep silent?" 

Voice. " I was only telling you." 

Speaker. " If you tell me again I'll " 

Voice. I'll not tell you any more. 

Speaker. " Mind you don't." 

Voice. " Well, he didn't hear that." 

Speaker. " Never mind — I'll call him till he does hear." 

Voice. " All right, go on." 

(Speaker coming forward and raising the face as though about to 
speak to Jem.) 

Voice (quietly). "I knew very well he wouldn't hear that." 

Look round as this is said, and then turn to the audience and 
say: 

"Well, now, he's had the last word, perhaps he'll he quiet for 

THE MAN ON THE ROOF." 

Remember that this voice is only effective on. the vowel sounds, 
the consonants are only suggested. I have so arranged the dia- 
logue that everything Jem is supposed to say is repeated by 
Bill in the chimney or the ventriloquist himself. The effect of 
this arrangement is that the audience have not time to doubt as 
to the words, though they only hear the vowel sounds in the 
suppressed voice. If the ventriloquist finds that he cannot satis- 
factorily speak in the voice of Bill in the chimney immediately 
after Jem on the roof, he should turn his face to the chimney, 
and ask Bdl, saying "What does he say ?" and while his face is 
so turned speak out of the side of the mouth explosively, in the 
voice of Bill, the sentence which Jem is supposed to have 
uttered. 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 39 

DIALOGUE 

BETWEEN THE VENTRILOQUIST, JEM ON THE ROOF AND BILL IN 

THE CHIMNEY. 

Speaker. "Jem!" 

Jem. "Hill? I" {Prolong the o.) 

Speaker. "Jem!'' 

Bill. " There he is I don't you hear him ?" 

Speaker (turning to the chimney). " No, did you?" 

Bill. "Yes, I heard him." 

Speaker. "All right then, he is there 1" 

Bill. " I knew he was there." 

Speaker. "Be quiet. Now, once more: Jem!" 

Jem. "Hillo!" 

Speaker. " Where are you ?" 

Jem. "On the roof." (Don't attempt to sound the /, only sug- 
gest it.) . 

Speaker. "Where?" 

Jem. "On the roo " 

Bill. u On the roof, he says." 

Here the word"o?i" can be spoken before turning the face 
from the audience, and suit the action of turning to the chimney 
so that you can say "roo/" very distinctly. 

Bill. " He says • on the roof/ that's wh t he says." 

Speaker. "I thought he said that." 

Bill. " I knew what ho said before he spoke." 

(Here the words " before"' and " spoke''' require the action of the 
lips, therefore, turn towards the chimney just in lime to say the 
words while the face is from the audience.) 

Speaker. "Now, Bill, will you be quiet?" 

Bill. ' "I was only telling you " 

Speaker. " Weil, don't tell me, but be quiet." 

Bill. "All right." 

Speaker. "Jem!" 

Jem. " I can't get down." 

Speaker, " What do you say ?" 



40 maocabe's art of ventriloquism 

Jem. " I can't get down." 

Bill (quietly). "He can't get down." 

(Be careful to say this quietly, for as Jem is supposed to be 
" shouting " from the roof there would be no effect of contrast or of 
distance if 'Bill shouted also.) 

THE VOICE DYING AWAY IN THE DISTANCE. 

Speaker. " Well, I suppose you can get up now." 

Bill ' ; Tou want me to go ?" 

Speaker. "Yes, but I want to know you're safe, so you must 
shout ' Good night 1' all the way." 

Bill (shouting). "Good night, all the way.*' 

Speaker. "No, I don't mean that." 

Bill. " Tou said that." 

Speaker. "Yes, but I mean I want you to shout 'Good night/ 
and keep shouting until you are a long way off/' 

Bill. "Oh, I know." 

Speaker. " Well, get along. Good night.'* 

Bill. " Good night," etc. 

This is a very effective climax, and in a parlor, among a small 
company, may be productive of the greatest astonishment. To 
me it is the easiest of all my ventrnoquial effects, and I have 
frequently walked from the window or door into the middle of a 
group, looking straight into their faces, while they heard the 
voice apparently dying away in the distance. 

Turn your face from the audience, as though you had forgotten 
them, and act as though you were really in earnest in your part- 
ing words with Bill. Under these circumstances, ali necessity 
for concealment of the movement of the lips is dispensed with, 
and the only thing to attend to is the character and tone of Bill's 
voice. Before turning your face to the audience be careful to 
graduate the assumed voice until you have it well under com- 
mand, at the spot where the " cluck •' is made in the act of 
swallowing. Practice to shut off the sound at this place. Make 
the voice explosively on the sounds ood ight, to represent " good 
night." Extend the stomach at each "good night" of the dis- 
tant voice j gradually raise the pitch as you suppress or shut off 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 41 

the voice. All this requires no facial movement whatever, but 
good acting will very much heighten the effect. 



THE ENGLISH RAILWAY PORTER. 

FROM THE REPERTOIRE OF THE 

VENTRILOQUIAL, MIMICAL AND MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT, 
"BEGONE DULL CARE." 



Character m Dress.— The Porter (Mythical, Mimical, Polyphonic 
or Yentriloquial Voices): 

Fat Little Man. 
Fat Old Lady. 
Jocular Young Man. 
Asthmatical Old Man. 
Intoxicated Man. 
Yankee Chaffer. 



He who desires to present this sketch for the amusement of 
an audience, should begin by committing to the memory of Ins 
ear the various voices of the above characters. The following 
description of the voices which I use may be of service, but it 
will be better for the amateur to invent and arrange voices for 
himself. 

FAT LITTLE MAN. 

Fat people never have deep or big voices. Use a little voice 
with moderate pitch for this character. 

FAT OLD LADY. 

Falsetto voice, rather high pitched. 



42 MACCABEES ART OF VENTRILOQUISM. 

JOCULAR YOUNG MAN. 

Hard, loud, thin voice, moderate pitch. I produce this voice 
explosively against the front of the palate immediately above 
the upper row of teeth. 

ASTHMATICAL OLD MAN. 

Deep voice, produced at the side of the mouth in the cavity 
formed by the cheek. (The prolonged cough will be explained 
hereafter.) 

INTOXICATED 3IAN 

and 

YANKEE CHAFFER. 

These are simply mimetic voices, and may be left to the 
mimetic instincts of the performer. 



SONG. 

"RAILWAY STATION? ' 

(Tune — " The King of the Cannibal Islands. 11 ) 

Ever since the world began 
There never was, nor never can 
Be found such a very useful man 

As an English railway porter. 

DIALOGUE. 

Fat Little Man. "Hillo! hold on." 

Porter. " Hillo ! somebody's sure to come late ! Now, then, 
look sharp — this way." , 

Fat Little Man. " Am I in time ?" 

Porter. " Just in time ; get in here." 

Fat Little Man. "Inhere?" 

Porter. " Yes, look sharp (appearing to help him in)." 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 43 

Fat Little Man. u Porter! there is no room here.'' 

Porter. " Plenty of room; stop where you are. Now, then, 
ma'am, are you going?" 

Fat Lady. "Ive got three trunks, four bundles, an umbrella, 
a flat iron, a gridiron, and two childer." 

Porter. "Get in with the children ; I'll see to the luggage." 

Fat Lady. " Will you see to my luggage?" 

Porter. "Yes, ma'am; get in quick." 

Fat Lady. "I won't go without " 

Porter (helping her in). " G-et in quick." 

Jocular Young- Man. "Hillol porter!" 

Porter (turning to another part of the train). u Hillo I Now, 
then, are you going, sir ?" 

Jocular Young Man. "I say, porter, give us a match." 

Porter. "A match, sir; this is not a smoking carriage. You 
mustn't smoke here." 

Jocular Young- Man. "Never mind, it's all right; give us a 
match, old fellow." 

Porter (Holding out his hand for a gratuity). " There's no 
smoking allowed, nor any tips to the railway servants " (pocketing 
■he tip). Thank you, sir. Right." (Rings belt.) 

(Sings.) 

So ever since tho world began 
There never was, nor never can 
Be found such a very useful man 

As an English railway porter. 

Second Verse. 
And when the train is pulling up, 
At a station on the line to stop, 
And the passengers want to know how far 
They've come, and wonder where they are, 
The porter shouts the name of the station, 
But you only hear the termination — 
On that point you never get information 

From the railway porter. 



44 MACCABES ART OF VENTRILOQUISM 

{Spoken). We wait at the station till the train is coming on, 
then as the cars go by we kick up a row and shout at the doors 
and windows (rings the bell and shouts a j amble of incomprehensi- 
ble words, puts down bell and says), f* then they know where 
they are." 

11 Then we have to go and collect the tickets ; that's a nice job. 
"We can't go through the cars like you can here; we have to wait 
till the train stops in the station; then we go and open the doors 
and call for the tickets. An English railway train is nearly all 
doors; and at every door there is sure to be a fidgety passenger, 
who wants us to stop while they talk to us and make complaints. 
All tickets ready, please. All tickets !" 

DIALOGUE. 

Eat Little Man. " Here, porter, I was put in here in a hurry. 

Porter. ''Well, sir." 

Eat Man. "Well, there's too many people here — I've no 
room." 

Porter. " No room, sir? you've got a seat." 

Eat Man. " Yes, but I'm sitting on this lady's hoops." 

Porter. "Well, never mind that; if the lady don't mind it 
you can't hurt the hoops." 

Eat Man. 4 No, but they are hurting me." 

Porter. " Can't help that, sir. Tickets, please." 

Eat Lady. " Porter, is my luggage all right ?" 

Porter. " What luggage have you got, ma'am ?" 

Eat Lady. "I've got three trunks, four bundles, an umbrella, 
a flat iron, a gridiron, a piece of string, and two children." 

Porter. " Tour luggage will be in the van." 

Eat Lady. " And where's the wan?" 

Porter. "The van's behind." 

Eat Lady. " I never see a wan behind before, and I won't go 
any further without my luggage." 

Porter. " Oh, I'll see that you get your luggage, ma'am." 

Eat Lady. " Will you promise that I get my luggage ?" 

Porter. " Yes, ma'am, I promise you " 

Eat Lady. "Well, I'll have an action for breach of promise if 
I don't get my luggage." 



AND YOCAL ILLUSIONS. 45 

Porter. " All right, ma'am" (turning to the place where jocular 
gent is). " Tickets, please." 

Astidiatical Old Man (angrily). "Here, porter, put your 
nose in. here, will you?" 

Porter. " What's the matter here?" 

Old Man. " Why, there's three young men smoking, and I'm 
choking." 

Porter, " I'll soon stop that. Here, I say, young man, you 
mustn't smoke here. There's no smoking allowed here." 

Jocular Man. " We wasn't smoking aloud, we was smoking 
quietly." 

Porter. " Oh, that's only a joke, you mustn't smoke tobacco. 

Young- Man. " Yery well, then we'll smoke the old gentleman; 
he's half on fire already." 

Old Man. " Porter, did you hear that ?" 

Porter. " Yes, sir.'' 

Old Man. " Well, that's the way they've been chaffing me all 
along." 

Porter. " It's very unwrong of them." 

Old Man. " I'm so asthmatical the smoke irritates my bron- 
chial tubes." 

Porter. "It's a shame of them; but never mind, sir, I'll stop 
them." 

Old Man. " You'll what?" 

Porter. "I'll stop them, sir." 

Old Man. " You'll stop my bronchial tubes ?" 

Porter. " No, sir. I'll stop their smoking, sir." 

Young Man. " I say, porter, could you stop his cough?" 

Old Man. " I can't help my cough, sir." 

Porter. " Of course not you know he can't help his cough." 

Young Man. " Well, he never stops when he once begins." 

Old Man. "I can't help it, sir; when my cough comes on — " 
(coughing). 

Young Man. "He's a going to cough now." 

Porter. " Well, he can't help it." 

Young Man. " There he goes." (Old Man coughs.) 

Porter. " Leave him alone." 



46 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

Young Man. "Shake him up." 

Porter. "No, no! Leave him alone." 

Young Man. " He'll never stop now he's begun. 

(The prolonged cough should he produced without using the vocal 
chords ; perhaps it will he better understood if I say avoid using 
that part of the throat which lies at the place familiarly called 
"Adam's apple." The learner will invariably begin by straining 
this delicate part of the vocal organs, for with afresh, unused voice, 
this is the part which is most used, and this is the part which 
sJwuld be least used; for though this is the quickest and easiest way 
to produce false vocal effects, it is the quickest way to produce 
fatigue and hoarseness, and ultimately permanently injure the voice. 
The cough should be produced at the side of the mouth, by drawing 
back the tongue and exploding the sound against the palate.) 

Intoxicated Gent. " I say, porter." 

Porter. " Yes, sir." 

Intoxicated Gent. "I want speak t'ye." 

Porter. "What do you want?" 

Intoxicated Gent. " It's all right." 

Porter. "Yes, but what do you want?" 

Intoxicated Gent. " I want t'know (hie) how far are we from 
the next refreshment station." 

Porter. "You don't want any more refreshment, I'm sure." 

Intoxicated Gent. " Don't I ?" 

Porter. " I think you've had enough." 

Intoxicated Gent. " What's that ?" 

Porter. " If you take anymore drink you'll have too much." 

Intoxicated Gent. "Well, too much is just enough for me." 

Porter. " We've gone past the next refreshment station." 

Intoxicated Gent. "Have we gone past it?" 

Porter. " Yes, sir." 

Intoxicated Gent. " Let me out. I'll go back." 

Porter. " No, no ; give me your ticket." 

Intoxicated Gent. " How far are we gone?" 

Porter. " I should say you're about half gone or a good deal 
more." 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 4T 

Yankee. "Say, porter." 

Porter. u Yes, sir, 1 ' 

Yankee. " Can you tell me, is this train going on or standing 
still?" 

Porter. u I don't know what you mean by such a question as 
that, sir." 

Yankee. " Wal, I guess you go so slow I don't know the dif- 
ference." 

Porter. u That's only your Yankee chaff, sir ; you'll not be 
long going now." 

Yankee. "I'm in no hurry now, cr I should get out and 
walk." 

Porter, " All right; give me your ticket, please." 

Yankee. " I guess I've got a ticket and a half." 

Porter (taking the tickets). " Who's this half ticket for ?" 

Yankee. " For this young man here." 

Porter. "It won't do; half a ticket won't do for him — he's 
not a child." 

Yankee. u Wal, I know he isn't now ; but he was when we 
started ; we've been so long coming he's growed." 

Porter. "All right." (Rings bell.) 

Finale. — (Sings). 
" So ever since the world began," &c 

That Ventriloquism may be some time or other of some prac- 
tical service to the possessor may be gathered from the following 
circumstance : 

When I was a boy of some fourteen years of age, I remember 
especially that on one occasion, in my father's house, after enjoy- 
ing myself well, boy like, at an evening party given by him, I 
went to bed after the company had broken up and could not, for 
the life of me, fall asleep. As I lay in bed, tossing about, I be- 
came gradually convinced that something very unusual was going 
on below stairs, for I distinctly heard footsteps, now here, now 
there, until I got at last into such anxiety and fear that I could 
not remain motionless any longer. Getting out of bed, I felt an 
irresistible impulse to get nearer to the place where the thieves 



48 maccabe's art of ventriloquism. 

were, for such I afterwards found them to be. Having crawled 
down stealthily by myself, I put in forcein earnest what I had 
been already practising, and began a conversation, raising as 
much of a hullabullo as I could of several voices: " Here they 
are ! Bring a light ! bring a light 1 There they go ! Shoot 
them ! shoot them I" The thieves were so taken aback at being 
so suddenly discovered, that they immediately decamped, and 
as the row I made roused the house, I recollect well, as the 
lights appeared, seeing one slouching villain hurrying past a door 
partly encumbered with the end of a tablecloth, which was being 
dragged after him. After that affair I practised more diligently 
than ever, when alone, whether in the house or in the open field, 
or rambling among country lanes. And well I might, for I had 
had impulse sufficient. 

Another incident in my experience illustrates somewhat the 
astounding effect a ventriloquial illusion has upon the unsophisti- 
cated, when it startles thern in all its telling force by the circum- 
stance that no knowledge or previous intimation of it had ever 
been gained. A few years ago, while travelling in Ireland, I had 
a predilection for pedestrian ism. I walked from town to town, 
over the hills and through the valleys, during the whole of one 
year. On the occasion I speak of I had approached to within a 
mile of the town of Listowel, in county Kerry, where at the time 
a fair was being held, and on the way I met a man riding on a 
donkey After the usual greeting he stopped, and entered into 
a little gossiping conversation with me. The donkey stood mute 
and passive, as only donkeys can, while I rested one hand on 
his neck. Unpremeditatedly I began making his head, or rather 
his nose, wag from right to left. Suddenly a whim struck me, 
and I asked the man — -who was a born wag, by the way — " How 
old is your ass?" " Rising four years,'' was the reply. At that 
instant, by an imperceptible action of my hand, which was resting 
on the donkey's neck, I moved his head towards me, and I ut- 
tered an ejaculation, in the voice which is described by using the 
side of the mouth with the face in profile, " He's a liar ! I'm nine- 
teen 1" Apparently thunderstruck, I jumped back in well feigned 
surprise, while the good man dropped off like a shot, with a 



AND YOCAL ILLUSIONS. 49 

"Mercy onus! that ass spakes!" The effect was ludicrous in 
the extreme, for the poor fellow had a comical look of astonish- 
ment better to be imagined than described. How he did quake 
when the " ass spake!" 

Effect, of course, is everything, especially with the ventriloquist. 
But even apart from any ventriloquial illustration, there are other 
curious vocal illusions which create no little amount of astonish- 
ment. There is one, perhaps not so generally known as it might 
be, for it is an agreeable piece of " innocent foolery," and very en- 
tertaining in its way. Two persons " assist," one of whom, stand- 
ing upright before the company, with his hands behind him, act3 
as a " dummy," or pantomimic orator, while the other, stooping 
behind him, inserts his hands through the " dummy's " arms, and 
commences energetic action with them in the "laying down the 
law" style. In a voice totally inappropriate to that of the pre- 
tended orator — who, by the wa^, must be "mouthing," if not 
uttering — the real speaker gives a burlesque version of some well 
known quotation, such, as, for instance, that in Home's play of 
"Douglas:" 

" My name is Norval ! On the Grampian hills 
My father feeds his flocks, a frugal swain," etc. 

The effect is irresistibly droll and is sure to gratify the com- 
pau , especially if there be plenty of young folks in it. If the 
actors in it be a little removed from the audience the illusion is 
extraordinary, and partakes of a ventriloquial character — which, 
however, it is not, because the illusionists, for such they simply 
are, are merely acting their separate parts in the same place, and 
there is no " speaking inwardly." 

This sort of dummy acting is of no uncommon occurrence in 
France, and is, indeed, more general in theatres than many would 
imagine. There are many instances where the real speaker or 
singer is " behind the scene." I call to mind a remarkable in- 
stance of this kind of substitution, wherein the illusion was per- 
fect to the audience. It occurred at the Prince's Theatre in 
Manchester — a theatre that, according to many travellers, has 
some reasonable claims to be ranked as one of the prettiest in 



50 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

the world, the acoustic properties being excellent. It was the 
first season after the opening of the theatre, and Shakspeare's 
Tempest was presented on the stage with all those scenic effects 
and completeness of detail which have rendered Mr. Charles 
Calvert's name so well and deservedly known in more recent 
Shakspearian revivals. The part of Caliban was being sustained 
on the occasion by Mr. Cathcart (the elder Cathcart, since de- 
ceased), who played the part with great brusquere and with a 
voice moderately deep and full, though somewhat rough and un- 
musical. When it came to the end of Act II, where the " howl- 
ing, drunken monster" has to sing, I was standing at the wings 
and was at once struck with astonishment to hear the refrain : 

" Ban, Ban, Ca— Caliban, 
Has a new master— get a new man," 

sung by some one in a smooth, light baritone voice, while Mr, 
Cathcart went pantomiming and contortioning about, as if he 
were singing the song. Being asked to go into the auditorium to 
witness the illusion, I went, and immediately was surprised at the 
effect — the singing was apparently being executed by the actor, 
with gratifying applause, while the real singer was there below 
the footlights in the orchestra, with his back turned to the audi- 
ence. The absorbed attention of the audience was centred in 
the actor and his doings on the stage, which naturally caused the 
association in their minds of the song with the character. 

The following account relates to some events which M. 
Alexandre (before referred to) was concerned in. As they are 
of more than ordinary interest they have a place here, without 
vouching for their strict accuracy. He interested many savans, 
among whom Sir David Brewster was one of the critical ob- 
servers : 

M. Alexandre, the famous ventriloquist, had an extraordinary 
facility in counterfeiting all the expressions of countenance and 
bodily conditions common to humanity. When in London, his 
mimetic powers, which he was fond of exercising both in public 
and in private, made his company in high request among the 
upper circles. The Lord Mayor of the city, in particular, re- 
ceived the ventriloquist with great distinction, and invited him 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 51 

several times to dine at the Mansion House; but it unluckily, 
happened that, on every occasion when M. Alexandre dined 
there, he could not stay to spend the evening, having contracted 
engagements elsewhere. The Lord Mayor expressed much re- 
gret at this, and the ventriloquist himself was annoyed on the 
same account, being willing to do his best to entertain his guests, 
whom the Lord Mayor had invited each time to meet him. 

At last, on meeting M. Alexandre one day, the Lord Mayor 
engaged him to dine at the Mansion House on a remote day. " I 
fix it purposely," said his lordship, "at so distant a period, be- 
cause I wish to make sure this time of your remaining with us 
through the evening." Through fear of seeming purposely to 
slight his lordship, M. Alexandre did not dare to tell the Mayor 
that on that very morning he had accepted an invitation from a 
nobleman of high rank to spend at his house the evening of the 
identical day so unfortunately pitched on by the civic dignitary. 
All that the ventriloquist said in reply was, "I promise, my lord, 
to remain at the Mansion House till you yourself think it time for 
me to take my leave." " Ah, well," said the Lord Mayor, and 
went off perfectly satisfied. 

At the appointed day M. Alexandre sat himself down at the 
magistrate's board. Never had the ventriloquist comported him- 
self with so much spirit and gaiety. He insisted on devoting 
bumpers to each and every lady present. 

The toasts went round, the old port flowed like water, and the 
artiste in particular seemed in danger of losing his reason under 
its potent influence. "When others stopped he stopped not, but 
continued filling and emptying incessantly. By-and-by his eyes 
began to stare, his visage became purple, his tongue grew con- 
fused, his whole body seemed to steam of wine, and finally he 
sank from his chair in a state of maudlin, helpless insensibility. 

Regretting the condition of his guest, the Lord Mayor got him 
quietly lifted and conveyed to his own carriage, giving orders for 
him to be taken home to his lodgings. As soon as M. Alexandre 
was deposited there he became a very different being. It was 
now ten o'clock, and but half an hour was left to him to prepare 
for his appointed visit to the Duke of \s soiree. Tho ventrilo- 
quist disrobed himself, taking first from his breast a quantity of 
sponge which ho had placed beneath his waistcoat, and into the 
pores of which he had, with a quick and dexterous baud, poured 
the greater portion of the wine which he had apparently swal- 
lowed. 

Having washed from his person all tokens of his simulated in- 
toxication, and dressed himself anew, M. Alexandre then betook 
himself to the mansion of the nobleman to whom he had engaged 
himself. 



52 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

On the following day the fashionable newspapers gave a 
detailed account of the grand party at his GTrace the Duke of 

's, and eulogized to the skies the entertaining performances 

of M. Alexandre, who, they said, had surpassed himself ou this 
occasion. Some days afterwards the Lord Mayor encountered 
M. Alexandre. " Ah, how are you?" said his lordship. " Very 
well, my lord," was the reply. "Our newspapers are pretty 
pieces of veracity," said his lordship; "have you seen the 
Courier of the other day? Why, it makes you out to have ex- 
hibited in great style last Thursday night at his G-race of 's!" 

"It has but told the truth," said the mimic. "What? impossi- 
ble!" cried the Mayor. "You do not remember, then, the state 
into which you unfortunately got at the Mansion House?" And 
thereupon the worthy magistrate detailed to the ventriloquist the 
circumstances of his intoxication, and the care that had been 
taken with him, with other points of the case. M. Alexandre 
heard his lordship to an end, and then confessed the stratagem 
which he had played off, and the cause of it. 

"I had promised," said Alexandre, "to be with his G-race at 
half past ten. I had also promised not to leave you till yourself 
considered it fit time. I kept my word in both cases — you know 
the way." The civic functionary laughed heartily, and on the 
following evening Alexandre made up for his trick by making the 
Mansion House ring with laughter till daylight. 

Many anecdotes are told respecting M. Alexandre's power of 
assuming the faces of other people. At Abbotsford, during a 
visit there, he actually sat to a sculptor five times in the charac- 
ter of a noted clergyman, with whose real features the sculptor 
was well acquainted. When the sittings were closed and the 
bust modelled, the mimic cast off his wig and assumed dress, and 
appeared with his own natural countenance, to the terror almost 
of the sculptor, and to the great amusement of Sir Walter Scott 
and others who had been in the secret. 

Of tills most celebrated ventriloquist it is related that on one 
occasion he was passing along the Strand, when a friend desired 
a specimen of his abilities. At this instant a load of hay wa3 
passing along near Temple Bar, when Alexandre called attention 
to the suffocating cries of a man in the centre of the hay. A 
crowd gathered round and stopped the astonished carter, and 
demanded why he was carrying a fellow creature in his hay. 
The complaints and cries of the smothered man now became 
painful, and there was every reason to believe that he was dying. 
The crowd, regardless of the stoppage to the traffic, instantly pro- 
ceeded to unload the hay into the street. The smothered voice 
urged them to make haste, but the feelings of the people may be 
imagined when the cart was empty and nobody was found, while 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 53 



Alexandre and his friend walked off laughing at the unexpected 
result of their trick. 



Concluding Remarks. 

THE ART OF BREATHING, SPEAKING AND SINGING. 

It may surprise the reader to find the simple and ratural act 
of breathing classed as an Art, implying that to breathe requires 
method and a knowledge of certain rules. To breathe is the first 
act of our existence, and requires no knowledge whatever, since 
it is an involuntary act of nature. But nature very often acts 
imperfectly, and the intelligent MIND directs her instincts and 
improves her action. An imperfect method of breathing is the 
fruitful source of innumerable complaints, and in ninety cases 
out of a hundred lays the first seeds of lung disease. "Very few 
people properly fill their lungs at each inspiration. Remember, 
that the nose is the proper channel through which to inspire, and 
the mouth to expire during the waking hours; the nose alone, 
both for inspiration and expiration, during sleep. Only those 
who keep the mouth closed during sleep enjoy healthy and re- 
freshing slumber. A lung bath once a day will be found very 
beneficial to the health. Stand in the open air and firmly close 
the mouth. Take a long, deep breath through the nostrils until 
the lungs are well filled, then open the mouth and slowly 
empty them. Repeat this for ten minutes. This I call a lung 
bath. 

To acquire a good voice for speaking is simply to know how 
to use your voice properly. To this end a knowledge of the 
construction of the vocal organs will be of great service, but a 
perusal of the scientific books on this subject is very confusing 
to the unscientific reader. I will endeavor to explain how to 
produce the voice in terms so simple as to be easily compre- 
hended by all : The vocal chords are situated in that part of the 
throat commonly called "Adam's apple." The false method of 
all uninstructed beginners is to bring to bear upon these delicate 



54 maccabe's art of ventriloquism 

chords a great and injurious strain. The complaint called clergy- 
man's sore throat is the result of this improper method of speak- 
ing. Practice to speak distinctly without using these chords. 
Remember that the roof of the mouth is the sounding board from 
whence the voice should issue. The vocal chords will vibrate 
instinctively, but you must avoid all effort to use them. These 
remarks apply to the art of Singing, also, for singing is prolonged 
speaking — the sound being prolonged on the vowels only. 

Our readers will obtain a perfect knowledge of the construc- 
tion of the organs of sound and speech by carefully perusing 
the following able and admirable treatise on " The Physical 
Requirements of Song" which we have been kindly permitted 
to reproduce from Lotus Leaves, by its gifted author, Charles 
Inslee Pardee, M. D. : 

"It is frequently said of eminent singers, that 'their vocal 
organs are of exquisite construction.' 

The remark is so often repeated, that we are led to regard 
it as the expression of a general belief that vocalists are en- 
dowed with unusual physical attributes, neither inherited nor 
to be acquired by the masses of mankind. 

It cannot in truth be said that this impression is entirely 
without foundation; but if by the expression it is intended to 
convey the idea that the basis of vocalism is a larynx of peculiar 
anatomical form or of rare functional power, it may mislead us. 

Setting aside the singular mental and emotional bias which 
seems to be essential to the musical artists, and taking into 
consideration the physical requirements of song only, we have 
two factors which enter into its production, namely, the vocal 
organs — i. e„ the mouth, larynx and trachea— and the ear. 

The action of the vocal organs is easily explained. The 
wasted product of respiration, the breath, is forced through a 
chink in the larynx and sound is created, while form and ex- 
pression are given by the mouth. That words are formed by 
the mouth, without the aid of the larynx, is a fact easily proven, 
as every one knows that he can distinctly express himself in 
a whisper. 

The larynx is essentially a double-reed instrument, the vocal 
cords being analogous to the reed of a musical instrument. 
The vocal cords are thrown into vibration hy the breath and 
sound is produced, the pitch being determined by the rapidity 
or slowness of movement. This, in turn, is regulated by the 
tension of the cords ; sounds of the highest pitch requiring ex- 



AND VOCAL ILLUSIONS. 55 

treme tension, sounds of the lowest pitch extreme relaxation of 
those organs. The different positions of the cords are caused 
entirely by muscular action. While the parts are at rest, air 
passes in and out in the act of respiration, causing no sound, 
as then their relations are not favorable to its production. 

Thus the larynx is the organ of sound; but the larynx and 
mouth are the organs of articulate speech. 

These organs are susceptible of the highest cultivation, and 
their functional perfection can only be attained by training. 
It is gymnastic exercise of the muscles, acting on the parts, 
which is required — systematic practice of their functional 
qualities, subject to the will. That is all. Within the register 
of his natural voice any one can attain mechanical precision 
of vocal expression. Even the register may be increased by 
ths- simple expedient of exercise. 

What, then, is so essential to the physical requirements of 
song that the few who possess it are regarded as phenom- 
ena? It is an ear of exquisite function, such as rarely exists. 
The ear is as important as is the operator to the transmission 
of a telegram. It is the conductor — the critic. Witness the 
person whose deafness is of such high degree that he cannot 
hear the sound of his own voice, and listen to his harsh, un- 
modulated tones. Witness the deaf mute — mute only because 
he is deaf — with vocal organs that are probably anatomically 
perfect, but with no guide in that process of imitation which, 
in the general way, constitutes man's training, from the im- 
perfect articulation of the words 'papa' and 'mamma,' in 
babyhood, to the highest form of vocal expression. 

Of our special senses, the ear is the organ of tune. Its 
function is to receive the succession of sounds, musical notes, 
the various, peculiarities of articulate speech, and to measure 
the periods of silence. It is the register of the properties of 
waves of sound — the intensity, quality and pitch — conveying 
to the brain an impression of the relative intensity of the 
sound created by the firing of a cannon and of a pistol; of 
the quality of the sound of a violoncello or of a violin — the 
pitch of the soprano and bass voices. If perfect in its functional 
property it registers the whole ; but if not, either through 
irregular development, or because its normal condition has been 
changed by disease, it may do so but partially, and the un- 
fortunate possessor of such an ear, particularly unfortunate if 
he desires to sing correctly, ascertains that he is unable accu- 
rately to determine the pitch of certain sounds, and that his most 
careful attempts to reproduce them result in discords. More- 
over, he may observe that he cannot appreciate the quality of 
sound. 



56 MACCABEES ART OF VENTRILOQUISM. 

Physiologically considered, the human ear is not a homo- 
geneous organ, but the different parts are for the appreciation 
of the different properties of sound; and the absence of one 
part — for instance, that which registers the quality, or the pitch, 
would cause the disappearance of its peculiar function. In 
view of this fact, it would be interesting to collate the several 
opinions of notably just and impartial critics in regard to various 
vocalists, to know if the tenor of criticism is in a singular 
groove; if it has the appearance of being of a certain formula 
or of particular bias. The singer who is smarting under the 
infliction of partial and unjust criticism of a performance that 
lie has perfected through years of careful training, under the 
guidance of an exquisite ear, may find courage in the reflection 
that, in all probability, his critic, honest though he be, has 
imperfect aural perceptions, and is laboring under the disad- 
vantage of performing work requiring the indispensable direction 
of an ear of faultless physiological attributes — an ear that he 
does not possess ; that the author of the criticism is not prompt- 
ed by any improper motive, nor is he captious, but is function- 
ally incapable of receiving correct impressions. 

A human ear of perfect functional attributes is something 
rare. That competent authority, Yon Troltsch, says : \ I shall 
make too small rather than too large an estimate, when I 
assert that r<ot more than one out of three persons, of from 
twenty to forty years of age, still possess good and normal 
hearing.' Good and normal hearing, in the sense of this para- 
graph, means good enough for ordinary purposes. It does not 
refer to that exquisite sensibility to all the properties of sound 
which is indispensable to the accomplished singer. The author, 
however, touches the point. If his estimate is approximately 
correct, few of our race may aspire to the distinction of 
attaining preeminence in song. 

My friend, have you a wish to become proficient in song? 
Do not concern yourself too much about your voice. In the 
practice of your life you have imitated articulate speech with 
entire success, and now reproduce it in a creditable manner. 
Your vocal organs show their susceptibility to training and 
discipline, and doubtless, within the register of your voice, may 
be trained to song, provided you have the all-important guide. 
Have you that guide ? Can you recognize the distinctive proper- 
ties of sound ? Do you appreciate the intensity, the quality, 
the pitch? Have you in perfection the three thousand nerve 
fibres of the cochlear portion of the ear each one of which 
vibrates synchronous to the sound of its own appropriate pitch ? 
If so, you can succeed ; otherwise, it would be as reasonable 
tc expect of a blind man the reproduction of color," 




E^~ Copies of any of the following Books sent, postage free, on receipt 
of price, to any part of the world. Address 

ROB'T M. DE WITT, Publisher, 

No. 33 ROSE STREET, 

(Between Duane and Frankfort Sts.), NEW YORK. 



Webster's Business Man; or, Counting- 
House ( orrespondent. Containing plain, practical directions for carrying" 
on every kind of Commercial and Banking- business ; including Mercan- 
tile Letters, Laws and Usages of Banking; and Brokerage, Forms of Offi- 
cial Papers of Shipping, Insurance, etc., etc. Also a very full exposition 
of the Specie and Paper Currency of the whole World. By the author of 
" Webster's Chairman's Manual." 

250 pages, boards -.... Price SO Cents. 

A handsome edition, bound in cloth, lettered in gilt.. .Price 75 Cents. 

De Witt's Connecticut Cook Book and 

Housekeeper's Assistant. Containing plain and economical styles of 
Dressing and Cooking every kind of Fish, Flesh, Fowl, and Vegetables, 
with Directions for Laying the Table, Carving the Meat, and Serving the 
Dessert. To which are added, a large number of Tried Receipts for Pre- 
serving, Canning, and Curing. By Mbs. N. Orb. 

200 pages, in boards, with a splendid cover Price 50 Cents. 

A handsome edition, bound in cloth, lettered in gilt.. Price 7 5 Cents. 

Webster's Chairman's Manual and Speak- 
er's Guide. Showing plainly and clearly how to preside over and conduct 
every kind of Public Meetings, with full exposition of the Manner of Pro- 
cedure in the American Congress, the British Parliament, the Legislature 
of New York, the Grand Lodge of F. and A. Masons, etc. By the author 
of " Webster's Practical Letter Writer." 

200 pages, in boards Price SO Cents*, 

An elegant edition, in cloth, gilt lettered Price 7 5 Cents. 

Sweet's Ready Reckoner. Values of Arti- 
cles by the Pound, Ounce , Barrel, Yard, etc., from 1 to 1000, from one-six- 
teenth of a cent to one dollar ; Measuring Timber, Planks, Scantlings, 
and Boards. Measurement of Saw Logs Measurement of W T ells and Cis- 
terns. Board by the day, week, and month ; Wages by the day and hour, 
from Fifty Cents to Four Dollars per day. Interest Tables at 6 and 7 per 
cent., from $1 to $100 ; Indispensable Tables, etc. By I. D. J. Sweet, 
author of " Elements of Draughts." 

Over 200 pages, in boards Price 50 Cents. 

A handsome edition, in cloth, lettered in gilt Price 75 Cents, 



Bulwer's Complete Plays (De Witt's Acting 

JEdition). Being the complete Dramatic Works of Lord Lytton (Sir 
Edward Lytton Bui wer, Bart.), comprising "The Lady of Lyons:" 
" Money ; " " Richelieu :" " The Rightful Heir ; " M Walpole ; " " Not so 
Bad As We Seem; " " The Duchess de la Valliere." From the author's 
original text. An entirely new Acting Edition. Edited by John M. 
Kingdom. This Complete Edition of Bulwer's Dramatic Works, i3 suit- 
able for the Library, in one volume, cloth, gold lettered. . . Price 1.5G. 
Most of the books included in the above perfect edition are justly esteemed 
the best plays on the stage ; and all of them are full of genuine passion, 
rich poetry, and great eloquence. 

Queen Mary. A Drama. By Alfred Tenny- 

son. The only unmultilated edition. Arranged for the stage, in Four 
Acts. Edited by John M. Kingdom. Price 30 Cents, being a 
doable Number (181 and 182) of De Witt's Acting Plays. 
; In the opinion of the most reliable critics, this play equals any drama that 
has been written since the days of Shakespeare. Great care has been 
taken to preserve in this Acting Edition every line given in the author's 
Loudon Edition. The parts to be omitted in representation are clearly 
defined. 

Henry the Fifth. A Historical Play in Five 

Acts. By William Shakespeare. As produced at Booth's Theatre, 
New York, Feb, 8, 1875. With a Historical Sketch of the play, Remarks, 
and Notes, and a complete Description of the Costumes, Properties, Stage 
Business and Scenery. Edited by Charles E. Newton. 

Price 15 Cents. 
The great success that has attended Mr. Calvert's revival of this splendid 
play; with all its attendant pomp and pageantry, has justly excited a 
great amount of interest in all lovers of the Drama ; and there has been 
a large demand for an edition showing all the alterations and emenda- 
tions. This edition fully supplies that want. 

De Witt's Base-Ball Umpire's Guide. Con- 
taining special instructions for Umpiring the game in the Professional 
and Amateur arenas, the whole forming a Complete Book of Reference 
for Umpires. By Henhy Chadwick. Base-Ball Editor of the New York 

Clipper. Handsomely bound in flexible cloth Price 50 Cents. 

. This is a new and much needed addition to the literature of the national 
game. Every professional player needs it as a book of reference, and 
every amateur will find it instructive in teaching him the Points of the 
Game. It is also a Complete Guide to Umpires. It is edited by the high- 
est authority known to the game, and should be in the hands of every 
Base-Ball player of either the Professional or Amateur fraternity. 

Willy Reilly and His Dear Coleen Bawn. 

By William Cableton. 8vo, paper Price 50 Cents. 

Unquestionably the best Irish story ever written. It had an enormous 
sale when first published, and sells even better now. Probably because, 
among its other merits, it is entirely free from sectarianism. ( arleton in 
this hook writes of what he knew. He had experienced the hospitality 
of the poor peasants who figure so life-like in the pages of this— his best 
book. 

Mliss : An Idyl of Red Mountain. A story 

of California in 1863 [Reprinted from the Golden Era of San Francisco, 
and the Sunday Mercury of New York.] 8vo, paper.. Price 50 Cesits. 
This true picture of life amid the gulches of the Golden State is very affect- 
ing. The story is of a little barefoot vagrant girl, who passes through 
every imaginable phase of misery, and, as she grows older, of temptation. 
There are many characteristic persons introduced, who increase the inter- 
est and bring about the denouement of the many thrilling scenes. 



Vasquez ; or, The Hunted Bandits of the 

San Joaquin. Containing Thrilling Scenes and Incidents among the 
Outlaws and Desperadoes of Southern California. With a Full and ac- 
curate account of the Capture, Trial, and Execution of the Noted Bandit. 
By George A. Beers, Esq Price 50 Cents. 

Not only are all the facts in this desperado's life given in this book, but 
truthful pictures of scenery and of the habits and ideas of the inhabitants 
are given. So that this book is really as useful as it is deeply interest- 
ing. The demand for California alone has exhausted the first large edi- 
tion. 

Joaquin, the Claude Duval of California ; or, 

The Marauder of the Mines. 8vo, paper Price dO Cents. 

Everybody has seen, heard, or read about this great malefactor ; but this is 
the only book that tells all about him from his birth to his death. Few 
books ever written give such an accurate and unvarnished account of all 
the good and all the bad to be found in the Golden State. No history of Cali- 
fornia gives as true an insight into the daily and nightly scenes of vio- 
lence and wrong as does this celebrated book. 

The Factory Girl ; or, All is Not Gold that 

Glitters. By Miss M. E. Braddon. 8vo, paper Price 75 Cents* 

This book is a transcript from real life. AH the wretched trials of pov- 
erty and friendlessness are pictured in the plainest and most truthful 
manner. Everything that this poor girl endured and suffered from real 
enemies and pretended friends, is told in a natural and very pathetic 
way. It is, therefore, no wonder that large as was the sales of this book 
when first published, that they are larger now than ever. 

Out of the Streets. By Charles Gayler. 

12mo, cloth, handsomely bound Price $1.50. 

This story was first published as a serial in Frank Leslie's Chimney Comer ^ 
and increased the circulation of that paper many thousand copies. It is 
a most powerful novel, depicting, through the medium of a wonderfully 
interesting story, a series of real life scenes in New Yoik. 

Every Lady her own Shoemaker ; or, i 

Complete Self- Instructor in the Art of Making Gaiters and Shoes. 

Price 50 Cents. 

This really valuable treatise is illustrated by numerous diagrams, fully illus- 
trating the reading matter. By a little study of this book any lady can easily 
make all the cloth shoes needed by herself and family, at less than one- 
half the price they would cost if bought ready made. The book is bound 
in flexible muslin. 

Black Jokes for Blue Devils. Broad Grins 

from Youn,r Africa ! Huue Guffaws from Sable Age ! Wit from the 
Plantation ! "Wit from the Kitchen ! Fun Ashore ! Fun Afloat ! Joker? in 
Hi-'b and Low Life ! Woolly Complications, conducive to loud laughter ! A 
Book full and running over with side-splitting fun, "pecooliar " to the 
darkey d race. Chock full of Colored Philosophy ! Illustrated with 100 of 
the most Comic of all Comic Designs ever Engraved on Wood. Buy one 
copy of " Black Jokes for Blue Devils," containing a Thousand Comicali- 
ties, and near a Hundred Humorous Wood Cuts. ...Price 35 Cents. 

The Swamp Outlaws ; Or, The Lowery 

Bandits of North Carolina. Large 8vo, eight illustrations. 

Price 25 Cents, 

The Carolina Bandits held far greater sway over the neighborhood of their 
swampy fastnesses than did Rob Roy over the Scottish Highlands, or 
Robin Hood over the English forests. Henry Berry Lowery, the leader, 
was a most extraordinary man, combining in his own person many of tho 
qualities of the French Cartouche, and the Italian Einaldi Ridaldini. 



Napoleon's Complete Dream Book. Con- 

' -taming Full, Plain and Accurate Explanations of Fortune-Telling by 
Dreams, Visions and Reveries. The only true and reliable Treatise 
(consulted by the Great Corsican) upon that most Useful and Marvellous 
Art. By Madame Camille Le Normand, the Modern Sibyl, Authoress 
of " Fortune-Telling by Cards," and other popular Treatises on the Oc- 
cult Sciences. 

This volume contains over 200 pages, bound in boards, with elegant illum- 
inated cover Price 50 Cents. 

An elegant edition, bound in cloth, gilt lettered Price T5 Cents* 

Elements of Draughts ; or, Beginner's Sure 

Guide. Containing a thorough and minute exposition of every principle 
separately explained ; together with Model Games illustrative of all the 
Openings. Illustrated with diagrams exhibiting critical positions to be 
won or drawn by scientific play. By I. D. J. Sweet, Draught Editor of 
" The New York Clipper.' , ^* 

This is a very handsome book, and acknowledged authority on all Games of 
Draughts , Price 50 Cents. 

An elegant edition, cloth, gilt lettered. Price 7 5 Cents* 

Chess Player's Instructor ; or, Guide to 

Beginners. Containing all the information necessary to acquire a know- 
lodge of the game ; with Diagrams illustrative of the various movements 
of the pieces. By Chables Henry Stanley, Chess Editor of u Harper's 
Weekly." 

This Instructor has never had a superior. It is very neatly and strongly 
bound Price 50 Cents* 

An elegant edition, cloth, gilt lettered Price 7 5 Cents* 

Clipper Chess Problem Tournament. To 

which a large number of original and a few selected positions have been 
added— being the splendid collection of Chess Stratagems for which the 
New York Clipper recently awarded several Gold and Silver Medals, with 
other valuable prizes — together with many additional original problems, 
in from two to sixty-two moves, by the first American masters. Edited 
by Myron J. Hazeltine, Esq., Chess Editor of the New York Clipper, 
etc. , etc. 
A small 32mo, elegantly bound in cloth, and handy to put in the pocket. 

Price $1.00. 

Morphy's Match Games. Being a Full and 

Accurate account of his most astounding successes abroad, defeating, in 
almost every instance, the Chess celebrities of Europe. Edited with co- 
pious and valuable notes, by Charles Henry Stanley, author of " The 
Chess Player's Instructor." Contains a portrait, of Paul Morphy, the 
Chess Champion of the World, engraved on steel, together with a fac-simile 
of Mr. Morphy's autograph, and bound in flexible muslin 

Price SO Cents. 

Fortune Telling by Cards ; or, Cartomancy 

Made Easy. Being a Pictorial and Practical Explanation of the marvellous 
Art of Prophetic For tune-Telling, whereby through simple use of Single 
Head playing cards, any person of common intelligence can glean Full, 
Perfect, and Exact knowledge of the Past, the Present, and the Future. 
. This book contains over 200 pages, bound in boards, with a splendid illum- 
inated cover Price 5 O Cent s. 

A handsome arid durable edition of this work, bound in cloth, elegantly 
lettered in gilt . ., ..Price 75 Cents. 

Note.— In trying fortunes by " Cartomancy Made Easy," it is neces- 
sary that a pack of cards should be used in which the face or figure cards 
have only a single head. "We will furnish this style of card, of fine quality, 
- for 75 Cents a pack, postage free. 



Webster's Ready - Made Love Letters. 

Comprising every style and kind of Note and Letter ; from first acquaint- 
ance until marriage, from Ladies to Gentlemen, and from Gentlemen to 
Ladies. With details of the Customs and Etiquette of Courtship and 
Marriage. To which is added a complete Dictionary of Poetical Quota- 
tions, relative to Love, Courtship, and Marriage. 
This book contains 200 pages, bound in boards, with elegantly illuminated 

cover Price 50 Cents* 

A very handsome edition, bound in cloth, elegantly lettered in gilt. 

Price 75 Cents, 

Webster's Practical Letter-Writer . Con- 
taining general directions for Writing ; also Model Letters, Family Let- 
ters, Children's Letters, Letters of Friendship, Letters of Sympathy, Love 
Letters, Soldiers' Letters, Letters of Distinguished Men, Letters of Dis- 
tinguished Women, Letters of Distinguished Authors, Business Letters, 
Letters of Introduction, Miscellaneous Letters, and Model Notes of Invi- 
tation. 200 pages, bound in boards, with splendid cover. It unites the 

good qualities of all others Price 50 Cents* 

A very handsome edition, in cloth, lettered in gilt... .Price 75 1'ents. 

Webster's Reciter ; or, Elocution Made 

Easy. Proper Attitudes of the Figure, the various Expressions of the 
, Face, and the different Modulations of the Voice, explained by fifteen 

full-page Engravings. Choice selections of Heroic and Patriotic Speeches 

and Poems; with instructions to enable the learner to fit himself for 

either the Stage, the Bar, the Forum, or the Pulpit. 

200 pages, in boards . Price SO Cents. 

An elegant edition, in cloth, gilt lettered Price 75 Cents. 

Webster's Little Folks' Speaker. Com- 
prising a great number of Standard Pieces ; as well as many Entirely 
Original. While most of the sterling pieces in this work are pathetic, 
and sentimental, others are humorous, and highly entertaining. 

Paper Pri ce 50 Cents. 

A very handsome edition in cloth, gilt lettered and ornamented.. 7 5 Cents. 

De Witt's Complete American Farrier and 

Horse Doctor. An American Book for American Horsemen ; showing 
plainly how to Breed, Rear, Buy, Sell, Cure, Shoe, and Keep the Horse. 
By Col. Chris. Forrest. The Horse in America— How to Buy a Horse 
—Looking at a Horse— External Signs of Disease— General Advice— Sta- 
bles and Food — Stabling — Pasture Hints — Harness— Tricks and Vices — 
Diseases of Horses— Miscellaneous Diseases— Breeding— Training for 
"Work. Illustrated with many very superior Pictures of the Horse in 
health and disease. 

Over 200 pages, in boards, with a splendid cover Price 50 Cents. 

A handsome edition, in cloth, lettered in gilt Price 75 Ceaits. 

De Witt's Perfect Orator. Comprising a 

j great number of Readings, Recitations, Dialogues, and Harangues from 
the most celebrated Tragedies, Poems and Speeches. Added to which are 
Very carefully composed Prefatory Remarks ; Historical, Explanatory 
and instructive. Together with a number of useful suggestions as to the 
Stage arrangements, making the Costumes, Scenery, etc., etc. 

This book contains over 200 pages, bound in boards, with a splendid illumi- 
nated cover Price SO Cent§* 

A handsome and durable edition of this work, bound in cloth, elegantly 
lettered in gilt .Price 75 Cesats. 

De Witt's Primary School Speaker. Con- 
taining a variety of the Choicest Pieces, adapted, both in thought and 
language, for recitation by the youngest speakers. While many old fa- 
vorites have been retained in this work, the most of the pieces are new, 
fresh, and not a few written expressly for it Price 10 Cents* 



Morgan's Expose of Free Masonry. Con- 
taining all the Degrees of the Order conferred in a Master's Lodge, aa 
•written by Captain William Morgan. All the degrees conferred in the 
Royal Arch Chapter and Grand Encampment of Knights Templar — 
Knights of the Red Cross— of the Christian Mark— of the Holy Sepul- 
chre ; also, of the eleven ineffable degrees conferred in the Lodge of Per- 
fection -and the still higher degrees of Prince of Jerusalem— Knights of 
the East and West — Venerable Grand Master of Symbolic Lodges — 
Knights and Adepts of the Eagle or Sun— Princes of the Royal Secret — 

Sovereign Inspector General, etc Price 25 Cents. 

Caution to the Reading Public— Beware of all Editions purporting to 
be Morgan's Expose of Masonry ; none are genuine but those that have 
the imprint of Wilson <& Co. % as Publishers. 

De Witt's Irish Forget-Me-Not Songster. 

One volume, cloth gilt. Two hundred and fifty songs.. Price 5U Cents. 
This volume is studded with gems of Irish Song --including the masterpieces 
of Moore, Lever, Lover, and that glorious galaxy of song writers whose 
genius has flooded Ireland with metrical glory. 

De Witt's Sentimental Forget - Me - Not 

Songster. One volume, cloth, gilt. Two hundred and fifty songs. 

Price 50 Cents. 

In this volume will be found such a melange, of truly beautiful Songs and 
Ballads as has never before enriched any one book. Every song that is 
tender, touching, pathetic, melting, or full of hallowed memories will here 
be found. Songs that are linked to the loveliest tunes. 

De Witt's Comic Forget-Me-Not Songster. 

One volume, cloth, gilt. Two hundred and fifty genuine comic songs. 

Price 50 Cents. 

Filled " chock full " of all the tip-top, truly jolly, quaintly droll, immensely 
funny, innocently free-and-easy, slap-bang, rollicking, racy, genuine old- 
fashioned Comic Songs. Songs to set a circus, a variety show, or a jovial 
dinner-table in an uproarious roar. Hip, hip, hurrah ! 

De Witt's Serio - Comic Forget - Me - Not 

Songster. One volume, cloth, gilt. Two hundred and fifty songs. 

Price 50 Cents. 

Among the two hundred and fifty splendid songs that help to make up the 
contents of this book, will be found the chiefest ballads that have been 
warbled by the beautiful blondes in burlesques, and the favorites that 
have dazzled the stars of the Opera Bouffe, besides lots of semi-sentimen- 
tal songs, the delight of every refined musical meeting. 

The Black Art ; or, Magic made Easy. 

Containing a very full and complete description and plain explanation of 
all kinds of Sleight- of-Hand Tricks and Conjuring by Cards and Coins- 
together with wonderful experiments in Magnetism, Chemistry, Electric- 
ity and Fireworks— so simplified as to be adapted for amusement in the 

Home Circle Price 1 Ceil 1 s. 

Contents —Tricks with Cards; fully explaining and detailing sixty-eight 
different most wonderful tricks and extraordinary processes. Experi- 
ments by Chemistry, etc. Tricks with Coins, etc , etc. 

Awful Disclosures of Maria Monk, of the 

Hotel Dieu Nunnery of Montreal Price $1.50 

Almost every one has heard of the terrible disclosures of Maria Monk. 
When she appeared in New York, armed with documentary evidence, 
details of terrible criminality were rehearsed. The secrets of the convent 
dungeons were revealed. The secret passages were unearthed, and such 
a state of things developed as filled all believers with utter astonishment. 
The parties thu§ attacked denied the awful tales of profligacy and miu> 
der. 



The Academic Speaker. Containing an 

unusual variety of striking Dramatic Dialogues, and other most effective 
scenes. Selected with great care and judgment from the noblest and 
wittiest Dramas, Comedies and Farces most popular upon the best stages. 
Interspersed with such able, plain and practical criticisms and remarks 
upon Elocution and stage effects, as to render this work the most valua- 
ble hand-book to the young orator that has ever been produced. 

Price 15 Cents* 

The Dramatic Speaker. Composed of many 

very carefully chosen Monologues, Dialogues, and other effective Scenes, 
from the most famous Tragedies, Comedies and Farces. Interspersed with 
numerous Directions and Instructions for their proper Delivery and 
Performance Pr i ce 1 5 Cents. 

The Histrionic Speaker. Being a careful 

Compilation of the most amusing Dramatic Scenes, light, gay, pointed, 
witty, and sparkling. Selected from the most elegantly written, and 
most theatrically effective Comedies and Farces upon the English and 
American Stages. Properly arranged and adapted for Amateur and 
Parlor Representation Price 15 Cents. 

The Thespian Speaker. Being the best 

Scenes from the best Plays. Every extract is preceded by valuable and 
very plain observations, teaching the young Forensic Student how to Speak 
and Act in the most highly approved manner Price 15 Cents. 

Boxing Without a Master ; or, Scientific 

Art and Practice of Attack and Self-defence. Explained in so easy a 
manner that any person may comprehend this useful Art. Containing 
descriptions of correct puglistic attitudes, as practised by the most cele- 
brated boxers of the present day. By Owen Swift, Professor of the Art 
of Boxing - • Price 1 5 Cents. 

The American Fistiana. Showing the Pro- 
gress of Pugilism in the United States from 1816 to the present time 
(1873), embracing all the particulars and all the rounds of every fight of 
which there is a positive record Price 50 Cen ts. 

All the fights of which there is any reliable record are here published, with 
every round and particular. By this valuable and interesting work upon 
the American Ring, a better idea and more knowledge can be obtained 
of sporting importance than by fifty letters to editors of pugilistic papers. 

The Diseases of the Sexual System. By Dr. 

Edward H. Dixon. Adapted to popular instruction Price $ 1 .50 

This eminent physician and surgeon clearly explains the structure, uses, 
abuses, and diseases of the most important organs of the human frame 
— not only important to the possessor, but doubly important as the means 
by which health and happiness, or disease and misery are transmitted to 
posterity. This book contains over 300 pages 12mo, well bound in cloth. 

The Art of Dining and of Attaining High 

Health. With a few Hints on Suppers. To which are added. Anecdotes 
of Dining Connected with Distinguished Individuals. 
One sumptuous English Crown l2mo volume, exquisitely printed and most 
elegantly bound in bevelled boards, rich gilt lettering and ornamentation, 
and gilt top Price SI. 50. 

The Apocryphal New Testament : The Sup- 
pressed Gospel. 200 p.iges 8vo, bound in cloth Prtce $2.00. 

This strange, curious and unique work, which has for ages attracted the at- 
tention of every Biblical scholar, is equally interesting to the general stu- 
dent. It is truly one of the greatest curiosities of sacred literature. 



De Witt's Public School Speaker. Con- 

taining a selection of the newest and choicest pieces for recitation in pub- 
lic schools, academies, etc. The selections in this book are of a highei 
grade, and are expressly designed for those who have made some advance 
in their reading and speaking lessons Price 1 Cents. 

Maccabe's Art of Ventriloquism and Vocal 

Illusions, with full directions to learners how to acquire a pleasing vocali- 
zation ; showing how to begin and practice marvellous illustrations of 
Ventriloquism ; with amusing Dialogues for beginners. By Fbedehiq 
Mac c abe. 
The very best book of its kind ever published Price lO Cents. 

Chad wick's American Cricket Manual. 

Containing the Revised Laws of the Game, with an explanatory Appen- 
dix to each Rule. Instructions in Bowling, Batting and Fielding, togeth- 
er with the Averages of the Leading Clubs of America, and the Scores of 
the Games played by the Gentlemen players in Canada and the United 
States in 1872. To which is added The Game of La Crosse, as played by the 
leading Clubs in Canada and the United States. 

This book contains over 100 pages, bound in boards, with elegantly illum- 
inated cover - Price 50 Cents* 

A very handsome edition, bound in cloth, elegantly lettered in gilt, 

Price 75 Cents. 

The Art of Swimming. Being a Clear, Plain 

and Practical Treatise upon this most useful, invigorating and ennobling 
Pastime, in which the learner is easily but surely taught how to Swim 
Backwards, Forwards, and Sideways, on and under water, as well as to 
Dive, Leap and Float in every possible manner. To which is Appended 
the most Approved and Certain Method of Saving Life from Drowning, 
and Resuscitating the Apparently Lifeless. By Chahles Weighiman, 
the Man-Fish, with many fine illustrations. Very handsomely printed 
on fine paper Price 30 Cents. 

Fun in Black; or, Sketches of Minstrel 

Life. By Chaeles H. Day, Author of " Show Life," " Tights and Span- r 
gles," ** Foot Light Fun," etc., with the Origin of Minstrelsy. By Col. * 
T. Alston Brown. Giving the History of Ethiopian Minstrelsy from 
1799. Singular Scenes before the Footlights and behind the Scenes — 
Wild Wit of Darkey Professors— Amusing Anecdotes— No end of " End * 
Men's " Jokes— Fun, Folly, and Frivolity— Pages of Pithy, Pointed Par- * 
agraphs — Fat and Lean Streaks ot Buffo Biography— Bones and Banjo on 
a Bust, etc. Sixty exceedingly Funny Pictures add greatly to the hum- 
orous Text Price 25 Cents. 

De Witt's Base -Ball Guide (Published 

Annually). Contains the Official Proceedings of the Professional and 
Amateur Associations, together with the Revised Code of Playing Rules, 
with an Appendix to each Rule. Also, full instructions for Scoring ; 
Hints to Experts and Amateurs in all Departments of the Game ; Com- 
plete Records of the principal Ciubs of the Country, with Scores of the 
most noteworthy Contests of the Season of 1871 ; with best individual 
Batting and Fielding Averages of the Professional Fraternity, Rules for 
organizing Clubs, and Instructions to Umpires under the new Rules. By 
Heney Chadwick, formerly Chairman of the Committee of Rules of the 
old National Association. 

By the express appointments of the Conventions of the Professional and 
Amateur National Associations, held in March, 1872, De Witt's Base- 
Ball Guide was made the Official Book of the two Associations. 

The above Book contains 100 pages, printed on fine white paper, enclosed in 
a handsome cover, with a Diagram. of the ball field, position of players, 
etc Price 10 Cents. 



DE WITT'S TWENTY-FIVE CENT SONG BOOKS 

11— il——— —^^ " ■ ■ II M I MllWiWil— ^— — — — 1 

Most Attractive, Best and Cheapest in the World. 

It is now an admitted fact that De Witt's Twenty-Five Cent Song Books are paragons of per- 
fection. Their superbly illustrated covers, their superior typographical execution, no less than the 
immense number of songs in each book, render them unapproachable in excellence. Add to all this 
that every book contains some Twenty Pieces of Music, by the ablest and most famous composers. 

No. 1. THE BEAUTY O? THE BLONDES SONGSTER. 

Two hundred Cnoice Songs. Price only 2.> Ceiits. 
Tn addition to the large uumber ot songs there f.re 21 pieces of music. 

No. 2. THE GREAT LINGARD DRUM MAJOR OF THE 

9th Songster. Two hundi e I Sougs. Pi ice only 25 Cents. 
20 songs, with their music, are given in this book in addition. 

No. 3. THE SOL SMITH RUSSELL COMIC SONGSTER. 

Two hundred Great Songs. Pi ice 25 Cents. 
All Sol Smith Russell's specialties, in addition to 20 songs set to music. 

No. 4. THE BLONDE OF THE PERIOD SONGSTER. 

Containing nearly 200 Popular Songs. Piice 25 Cents. 
A complete epitome of the Choice Songs ot the day. 20 pieces to music. 

No. 5. DAN BRYANT'S SHAUN THE POST SONGSTER. 

Two hundred Fiist cla^s Popular Songs. Price 25 Cents. 
The Green Isle's best Ballads, besides it has 22 superior pieces set to music. 

No. 6. THE HARP OF ERIN SONGSTER. Containing 

two hundred Irish Songs. Piice 25 Cents. 
Here are mauy choice pieces, 20 of the best Songs are set to music. 

No. 7. THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC SONG- 

ster. Containing auout two hundred Patriotic Songs. 25 Cents. 
Every one of the Hoys in Blue should have this book, the best ever published. 

No. 8. WM. HORACE LINGARD S NEW SONG BOOK- 

Containing nearly two hundred Songs. Price 25 Cents. 
This book coutains many very popular pieces, over 20 are set to music. 

No. 9. GUS WILLIAMS' VARIETY SONGSTER. Two 

hundred Choice Songs, f rice 25 Cents. 
A rich medley of " awful " funny Dutch aud other Songs. 20 pieces set to music. 

No. 10. THE SONGS OF TONY PASTOR'S OPERA 

House. Two hundred Popular and New Songs. Price 25 Cents. 
Added to the large number of Songs some 20 very popular pieces are set to music for this work. 

No. 11. JENNIE HUGHES' " ROSE OF ERIN " SONG- 

ster. Containing nearly two hundred Comic, Serio-Comic and Sentimental Irish Songs. 
Price 25 Cents. 
All the "Star" pieces of this charming vocalist are here given and 20 Songs set to music. 

No. 12. DELEHANT Y & HENGLER'S SONG & DANCE 

Book. Containing nearly two hundred of the most Popular Songs and Dances, and in 
addition it contains full instructions in Plantation and Clog Dancing. Price 25 Cents. 
Over 20 very Popular Songs are in this woik set to music. 

No. 13. JOHNNY ROACH'S CHAMPION SONGSTER. 

Containing about two huu Irei First class Songs. Prii-e 2-5 Cents. 
This book is fui ther enriched by 20 choice pieces set to music expiessly for it. 

No. 14. GUS WILLIAMS' "LATEST AND BEST" 25 

Cent songster. Containing tiie fullest list or the G.eat Dutch Continues ever-popular 
Songs and Ballads and 20 avorite p eces set to musi •. 



% % De Witt's Twenty-five Cent Song Books are the cheapest Song Books ever put in the maiket. 
No Songs are duplicated. Each book contains 200 pages, 12mo size, and each book has an Illumi- 
nated Lithographic Cover. 

C3~ Copies of the above Books sent to any address in the world, postage free, on receipt of price. Address, 

R. M. De Witt, Publisher, 33 Rose St., N. Y. 

iBetween Duane and Frankfort Sis.) 



FREE! FREE!! FREE!!! 

OS" An immense Descriptive Catalogue of the Best Novels, the Best Song Books, the Best Music 
and the Best Plays, unequalled and uuattaiuable elsewhere, mailed free upon application to 

R. M. DE WITT, Publisher, 33 Rose Street, New York. 



im 




m 




m 



THE VENTRILOQUIST, 

"Tell me how is't 

Thou, dost contrive, unique Ventriloquist, 

To rival, in a manner wondrous able, 

The various voices that confounded Babel? 

Now far, now near, now under chair or table ; 

Now on the roof-top, now beneath the floor, 

Now in the room, and now outside the door?" 



■« ■+ »» 



FIRST AMERICAN TOUR OF 



ENGLAND'S RENOWNED VENTRILOQUIST AND MIMIC, 

FREDERIC MACCABE, 

Originator and Delineator of the highly popular 

and most successful Entertainment 

so well known as 



<U 



f 



which had an uninterrupted and most brilliant 
reception at Steinway Hall, New York, for 200 
nights; now fulfilling a most successful tour 
through the principal cities of America, receiving 
flattering encomiums from the press and the 
public. 

Business Manager and Secretary, 

JOHN F. SUTTON. 

New York Address, No. 33 ROSE STREET. 



B&iSK 







